Bleach: Waves and Rapids
by 1caiser
Summary: "I am Kai Socrius. I was told to become a Shinigami." Full Summary inside, OC Main Character, and many more OCs to arrive.
1. Prologue: Shinigami

****_Summary: "I am Kai Socrius. I came to Rukongai by dying. I was told to become a Shinigami. So what's next? I know now. And I will not go down without a fight." Hollows and Shinigami are at war... still. To stop the invasion, we'll need more well-trained Shinigami. Can any of the new Shinigami students rise up to become one of them? Perhaps, there is one. And this is his story._****

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><p><strong>Bleach: Waves and Rapids<strong>

**Part I: Learning Arc**

**Prologue: Shinigami**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and it****s characters, except for the OC'****s being introduced into the story. These ****characters (and ****Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

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><p>Over to my right lay a scene of destruction; a broken asphalt road and destroyed buildings. The road was torn up as if a meteor had slid into it. Many of the buildings had massive holes in them. To my left lay a disappearing monster, cut cleanly at its waist, arms, and head, all connected by pools of blood. I sat at the road, back against a sign, panting heavily.<p>

But in front of me was a tall figure, a long, black-haired man with ornate headpieces in a white coat over a black kimono. A mint-green scarf covered his neck. Myriad pink fragments came together and formed a katana's blade in his hand.

"You are safe now, child," the man said. He raised the hilt of his katana. "There is nothing you need to be afraid of. Stop crying."

I rubbed my eyes dry and looked up at the man. "What was that?" I asked.

"A soul just like you, only turned sinister." He lifted the back of the katana's hilt. "If that chain gets any shorter, you could turn into one too."

I held the chain in my hand, feeling like I was holding some string to my heart. It hadn't gotten shorter in two weeks, but the previous "shortenings" were painful, one more painful to the next. I had the feeling that the next time my chain shortened, it was going to kill me.

"But, there is a place you can go to, that which shall not let you become one. But it is up to you, whether you wish to go or not."

"I do." The last remnants of the monster disappeared to thin air.

"So be it." The man got down on a knee and the Kanji character of "burial" appeared on the hilt bottom. I felt the hilt bump my forehead, and I felt as if I was falling...

Falling...

My vision of everything was skewed, stretched out. My eyes burned from the experience, so I tried closing them. But I couldn't - they were already closed. Is something happening?

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><p>I woke up staring at the bright morning sun. It was almost at its peak, near noon. <em>Must've overslept...<em> I thought, getting up and rubbing my eyes. Awake, I inspected my surroundings.

My hideout had been left untouched during the night, which was fortunate. I was sitting at the top left corner of the hideout, if you looked at it from a bird's-eye-view from above. The hatch I used to go to the main street was down toward the center of a building and went through its foundation. To the left of me sat two water basins, one for drinking and one for washing. A circle with a small metal loop was situated in the middle of the lot. The whole hideout was blocked with a wooden roof that had taken me forever to prepare, then even more so to lead all runoff to a nearby drain. In all, it took me about a month to settle in East Rukongai like this.

East Rukongai, District Sixty-Eight, is not a place one would want to stay. It is full of child criminals whom fight and steal for food. Money has long since been proven useless to them, as no one would serve a street rat. However, I came around that by working for other people, earning money and gaining some respect by the older townsmen. I keep that activity to a low profile, so none of the kids notice what I'm doing. I sighed as I got up and washed my face with the water basin to the left. I produced a washcloth to wipe off the sweat I had accumulated during the dream.

Dream. My arrival into whatever this place was. All I knew was that I was lying in this exact same spot, but with all of the objects around me out of place. It took me a month to produce the rubbish into this... home. But it wasn't how I arrived that bothered me. It was the person.

It looked awfully like a Shinigami that were described in this place of Rukongai. This area was usually infested with Hollows, corrupted souls, so Shinigami had come here during some time to deal with it. But then again, the guards from the Kuchiki Royal Family have the power to fend them off, and sometimes kill them. But just in case, I whittled out a wooden katana to train myself for training my improvised slash, hack, and stab moves; training on invisible enemies. No one was here to criticize me.

I took a big gulp of water from the basin to the right and wiped my face with my arm. I stretched my tired limbs and, using my fingers, combed my hair into place and ambled toward the hatch, opening it before darting into it. It was pitch dark, except for the two openings. As I neared the main street hatch, the sound of the afternoon Rukongai entered my ears, the air filled with marketplace food; or crime bait. I would say it is a more... accurate term.

I found myself in an alleyway, boxes hiding my figure against the darkness. I slowly approached the main street and blended into the crowd. I watched a few kids run away from a food stall, being chased by the clerk carrying a rolling pin. Not wanting to waste any chance, I inconspicuously stole a random bun from the stall and walked away.

"You really want to give it to me," said a boy. I looked to see a kid, about to my forehead, so he couldn't have been more than my age. Two younger kids stood behind the first, albeit less fat or lean.

"Do I want to give it to you?" I asked, taking a large bite out of the pastry.

The boy, probably no older than fourteen or fifteen, boiled with anger. He clenched a shaking fist. "I think we ought to teach this guy a lesson," he declared. The kids behind him nodded their heads hungrily. Together, they lunged at me.

I didn't know what they were thinking, the street rats whom barely have enough to live off of. What's more is that they are challenging a healthy person. I would say the match-up was unfair, but they started it... so I defended myself.

I threw my bun into the air, which the two younger kids looked up to try and catch it. The lead however, kept going forward and threw a punch; I caught it with my forearm and pushed it away and delivered a quick, powerful jab into his stomach. He went down reeling and grasping his stomach. I jumped over him to get the younger kids, catching my bun before sweeping them with a wide kick at head-height. I watched as they cried and tried to get away from me as fast as their wound would let them. And that only happens in anime.

I sighed, thinking that the bun would still fill me up. When I thought wrong, I cursed the District for being so poor and the kids for being greedy and "unable to try an alternative." Then I sighed as I decided to head back to my hideout. I walked back to the designated alleyway, ducking into the hatch door and through the foundation tunnel. I opened the hatch to my hideout, walking to a box. I opened it, revealing the wooden katana.

It was about two feet ten, which was about eighty six centimeters, long. The edge was blunt, due to me deliberately not sharpening it. I took it by the hilt, which was wrapped with scraps from Rukongai tunics. As I took the sword out, then felt a sudden shudder through the ground. I stared at my sword, then heard the screams of people and the sound of a building crash.

I turned around at the sudden smell that I can only imagine as allowing a corpse to ferment in the middle of summer. The sound of gurgling saliva sounded behind me. I could already figure out what it was even before seeing the smile design on its white mask. A Hollow!

It roared as it struggled to enter through the crevice it managed to break into a building wall. It looked like a snake, except had talons of some sort for front limbs. It growled at me as it reached for me with its claw. I jumped back to evade the grab, and then dove toward my hatch door. The Hollow struggled and destroyed the entire section of the building and grabbed at my foot. It promptly let go as I heard a splash of water and its piercing shriek. The timber broke as I crouch-dashed toward the hatch door to the alley, the door swung on its hinges while I crashed into it. Resisting the pain, I dashed into the direction of the torrent of people. I turned to see it following me, ignoring the other souls.

It's... going for me?

But why me? Of all people!

The village guards had assembled, and started firing volleys of _reishi_ bolts, which barely scratched its hide. The Hollow merely turned, and lunged at me, to which I was able to jump out of the way of the not aimed grab. I deduced it was to figure out how I moved, so I had to keep dodging it... somehow.

Then the worst thing happened. My foot caught on a stray fruit on the ground and I tripped. I would have imagined who could have dropped it, until the Hollow picked me up. "Your soul shall be tasty, indeed!" it cackled, showing me its dual set of teeth.

"Shut up," I said, shoving my sword into its right eye. It howled in pain as it gripped my sword, pulling out what would be twig in his eye. He dropped me, to which I rolled to reduce the impact inflicted, then resumed running. I had forgo-ed my sword to protect myself, and had no other means to protect myself.

It shrieked at me again, the wounded eye closed tightly as a stream of blood trickled out of it. I ran faster, but I was barely able to keep it up now. I started to lose my pace, feeling tired and as if the last time I ate was yesterday morning. That alone was enough for the Hollow to catch again. I saw a bolt dissipate near me, some few centimeters from my face. It was the end; I shut my eyes as the Hollow prepared to chomp me.

"Scatter, _Senbonzakura_."

My eyes snapped open. Suddenly, a wave of pink washed past me, severing the Hollow's hand. It howled in pain as it turned to see a Shinigami with a white coat standing on a building's roof with a katana blade without a sword. Then I realized I was falling. But the Hollow's hand acted as something like a cushion to the ground, but the fingers were still too heavy for me to lift by myself. I turned to see the Shinigami jump down from the roof, calmly "cutting" the air in front of him. The pink wave responded to his movement and cleaved the Hollow into bit-sized pieces, which then faded to dust. The hand wrapping me dissipated too and caused me to hit the ground.

The Shinigami looked at me, his gray eyes piercing into my black-brown ones. The pink petals flew to his sword hilt, reforming its blade, and he sheathed the weapon. "Kuchiki-dono!" cried one of the guards, immediately kneeling at the man's feet. "We are terribly sorry for having you go through the trouble of having to kill the Hollow."

"It absorbed the reishi bolts; it could not be helped." His eyes were still trained on me. "I happened to be here by coincidence." He walked toward me. "Boy, get up." I did so. "There isn't anything you need to be afraid of. Get up and stop crying."

Have I heard that voice before? Those exact same words?

"Kuchiki-dono, I don't think acting harsh toward a child will help..."

"I wasn't crying, sir," I said calmly. "This wasn't the first time I have been chased by a Hollow, so I'm somewhat used to it. But it bothers me that they always chase me all the time."

The Shinigami's gray eyes brightened, then returned to his steely gaze. "Have you eaten anything?" he asked warily.

"Uhh, yeah. A bun... some few minutes ago." I finally realized something. The man had the same hair style and ornaments, same katana and reformation of the blade, and the same mint-green scarf around his neck. He was the same man whom was in my dream, the one who granted me passage to Soul Society.

"I have a request for you," the Shinigami said, "go attend the Academy of Soul Arts, or the Shinigami Academy as you call it. The Hollows will stop chasing you if you do." Then he disappeared, but I caught him at the roof of a low house before disappearing against the afternoon sun.

"Become a Shinigami..." I said. "He wants me to be a Shinigami..."

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading the Prologue my first Bleach fic. I hope you enjoyed it, and that you will enjoy the plans I have for this fic.**

**-Kai**


	2. 1: Magic

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part I: Learning Arc**

**Chapter 1: Magic**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These ****characters (and ****Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

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><p>There was no reason to stay, since my hideout was destroyed. I packed my bags, only a small bag of food, which was hidden under the lid in the middle of my hideout, along with a large basin of water. I took a large gulp, then carried the basin out, walking into the street towards the inn I used to help out at.<p>

"Socrius-kun!" cried the innkeeper, rising from her seat. "Were you scared when the Hollow chased you?"

"It did almost eat me," I said, setting the water basin down. "So of course, but I kept my cool. Since I'm leaving, here's the extra supply of drinking water I was saving."

"Oh wonderful!" the innkeeper said. "It's gonna get lonely without you here. No one wanted to work with us anyway."

"Well, I hope the business gets better. A couple of houses were destroyed." I shrugged.

"Sure," she said. "Arima. Socrius-kun's going to say goodbye." A girl came from behind a curtain, dressed in the Rukongai clothes I see every day. In her hands was a stick-like object, wrapped in canvas.

"You're gonna go?" she asked. I nodded. "Well, since you're leaving, take this with you." Arima held out the stick-like object, and I could see a bump in it. She unraveled the cloth, revealing a Zanpakutō. "This was from during my brother's time in the academy. He died in the accelerated class, where a Hollow killed him. This was the Asauchi he used during that time. I wish to give it to you, and maybe even bring a purpose back to it. I doubt the blade has been used for sixty years or so, but I have kept it sharp until now."

I graciously accepted the weapon. "Thank you." I grasped the hilt area of the sword, stowing it away into my pack. "Your brother... what was his name?"

"My brother... his name was Aoga. He was a tall guy, probably taller than Mom when he moved into his sixth year into the Academy. He was reckless, always challenging the other kids of they wanted to fight. Quick to anger too, as he would occasionally punish the other child thieves that would steal from us." Arima smiled as she shook her head. "And that sword was the one he had never gotten to kill a Hollow with. Put some use to it!" I saw a faint smile on her face, though her eyes told me that she didn't want me to leave so suddenly.

I bowed, saying my goodbyes. I waved as I walked west, towards the Seireitei. I decided to take Kuchiki-sama's word and advice to enroll into the Shinigami Academy.

It was starting to get dark, but I still walked onward toward the gates of the Seireitei, due west. My suspicion of Hollows being nearby kept me awake and walking. I took a loaf of bread out of my bag and took a bite of it, partly to wake me up and partly to keep my strength up.

When the moon came up, I weaved off the path to follow the sound of water. I snapped a twig on a tree near the path before going toward the water path. Tree by tree, I snapped them, until I came to a river. The moon's reflection rippled with the river's slow current. I set my bag down, pulling out a large folded up blanket. I snapped it to unfold it, and to relieve it of any crumbs that may have rubbed onto it. I laid on the blanket and stared up at the sky.

I was in East District Sixty-Three. I had traveled through five districts in ten hours.

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><p>It took me another five days to finally reach District One, and the <em>Shōryūmon<em>, the Blue Stream Gate. The gate was high, and there was an open door in the Seireitei gate, souls streaming into the door wearing the Shinigami clothes; only a different color scheme. I walked toward the Seireitei door, which a Shinigami guard stopped me with a sheathed katana. "Rukongai residents are not allowed into Seireitei," he said. "I apologize."

"Do you know where I would go to enroll into the Shinigami Academy?" I asked. "Lord Kuchiki recommended me to go." I added that last part to gain his attention, which worked out better than I thought.

"Well, the registration kiosk is a few ways off there." He pointed into the direction of the North Gate. "Sign up, pass that entrance exam, and they'll give you a uniform."

I bowed and thanked the Shinigami, partly annoyed that I still had to walk. I hugged the wall toward north, walking about two minutes until I saw a kiosk with a lone Shinigami standing behind a desk, where a soul was standing at. Another soul walked from inside the desk, wearing a _shihakusho_ in a different color scheme. I walked up to the desk, where the Shinigami said, "No more after this one?" Then she sighed, looking at me. "Name?"

"Socrius Kai."

"District?"

"East, Sixty-Eight." The other questions included birthday, blood type, and other stuff I believed to be confidential in the District I was in. Finished, she ushered me in and explained the entrance exam.

"You wish to be trained as a Shinigami, right?" The Shinigami looked at my wrapped sword. "Where did you get the sword?"

"I got it as a gift from someone in my District," I said, showing the Shinigami the hilt. "She said it was a good-bye gift."

The Shinigami nodded as she marked something down. "So you have some sufficiency in Zanjutsu."

"Zanjutsu?" I asked.

"Swordsmanship." We entered a small hut and descended down a flight of stairs. By the color of the steps, it seemed they were made of _sekkiseki_, the same stone used for the Seireitei walls. I suspected something dangerous down there; there were lashing chain sounds against metal bars.

We entered a dungeon below Seireitei, where the roof was about eight feet high from the ground, and maybe about fifteen feet wide. At the far wall was a white-masked Hollow, an appearance similar to a bat; wings, fangs, and large ear appendages. It shrieked and starting hitting the cage harder when it saw me. It bashed its head against the bars until I thought they weren't going to hold. As I looked harder, the Hollow's skin already had numerous scratches on it.

"Step one..." the Shinigami said while writing, "attracts Hollows... okay. There are actually two steps to the entrance test. You passed Step One."

"What's Step Two?"

"Say the words "Hado One, _Sho_" while showing the Hollow your palm. Do it at the white line, and make it at least flinch."

I raised my right palm, as I found myself already standing at the line. I focused most of my concentration into that palm and said the words.

"Hado One! _Sho_!"

The bat-Hollow was sent flying back, crashing into the wall. Dazed, it fell to the ground, not having the energy to get back up again. I supposed it was from being bashed around many times from the previous sign-ups. I looked at my palm in amazement, as if I was reliving in the Star Wars Universe and I had finally be able to use Force Push or something.

The Shinigami looked surprised before she nodded. "And that's it for the dangerous part." She led me away from the Hollow's cage and we returned to the surface. "There's a thirty-five question test that you'll have to take, and depending on your score, you'll be assigned a classroom." She left two booklets and a sheet of paper on the desk with a quill-and-ink pen. "When you finish reading the informational booklet, tell me, and I'll time the sixty minutes you have for testing." I strode to the table and took a seat in a chair, opening the booklet to the first page.

_Let the boring-ness begin,_ I thought, skimming through the sentences.

The Shinigami left with the informational booklet, prompting me to dive into the test booklet. I fiddled around with the quill pen, dipping a good amount of ink into it.

_Question 1: What is an individual whom has entered the Seireitei without permission? _Ryoka.

_Two: What is a Shinigami in general?_ A Soul that performs soul burials on Pluses, and slays Hollows.

_Three: What is a Hollow?_ A soul that has turned evil, existing to feed on other Souls, Shinigami or Pluses.

_Four: How many Court Guard Divisions are there?_ Thirteen.

_Five: When a student f__inishes Shino Academy, which three factions may a student graduate to?_ Gotei Thirteen, Kidō Corps, and Onmitsukidō.

...

The test was pretty easy to finish, mostly about writing a word or naming other stuff from the pamphlet. I looked up from the test, not seeing an hour's worth of the sun's angle. I set the quill down and answered calmly, "I'm done."

The Shinigami looked surprised when she looked at me, but looked over the answer sheet I was given. "I'll take a look at this. Wait here until I finish grading it, and I'll give you the Academy uniform if you passed." I nodded, seeing the Shinigami leave with my paper. I merely looked at the table and traced the wood grains with my finger. I sighed, tapping the wood with my fingernail, making a solid and steady tapping sound.

"Here's your uniform!" The Shinigami said behind me. I whirled around to see her place the uniform, a Shinigami _shihakusho_ uniform with a blue-sleeved _hakama_. "Thank you," I said a bit softly. "What was my grade?"

"You'll figure it out," the Shinigami said with a smile. "First day of school is tomorrow at eight. Be there." She escorted me back outside Seireitei before she closed down the kiosk. I sighed with the uniform in my hands, and my pack strapped across my body.

First, I changed into the uniform and spent the day in a secluded area, practicing my sword skills with the new Zanpakutō. It was heavier than the wooden sword, but decided that it would prepare me if I had to use a different sword, a different asauchi. When night fell, I walked back to the Seireitei wall and found a tree. I scaled it to a strong branch, hanging my bag and asauchi on other branches. I sighed as I took one last look at the moon and promptly fell asleep.

Shino Academy... I wonder what it holds?

_The secrets of your power..__._ There was no one around.


	3. 2: First Day

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids  
><strong>

**Part I: Learning Arc**

**Chapter 2: First Day**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These ****characters (and ****Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

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><p>I woke up to the chatter of people. I looked to my left, seeing students in the Academy uniform walking into a gate in the Seireitei wall. I slung my sword over my shoulder and ran toward west, to the <em>Shōryūmon<em>, and the direction of the Shinigami Academy. I followed the flow of students.

The gathering of students was lined up outside the Academy gates. The sign wrote "_Welcome to Shino Academy_", while a banner to the side of it wrote "Welcome, new class of 2012." The line moved forward, sending me into the courtyard. A rather large group of students were huddled around a large board which had sheets of paper stuck to it. Lines of text were scrawled on the paper.

When I managed to get to the paper, each of them wrote "Class Individuals." I looked closely at the papers, starting at the one labeled _Class 1 Roster_. Under the name Ferin Light, was my name; Socrius Kai.

"Class one..." I muttered. I hefted my wrapped sword as I made my way into the courtyard, finding a place to sit. I admired the building, having four floors and three tiers to it.

"Welcome, all new Academy Students!" cried a voice over a loudspeaker. "With a legacy of over two thousand years, the Academy of Soul Arts upholds the tradition of training young men and women to the military ranks within Seireitei; the Kido Corps, Onmitsukidō, and the Gotei Thirteen. And now, _you_ will be included in this great tradition!

"If you have not found out which class you are in, head over to the northern wall, to the announcement board, to find your class and dormitory number! The start of Academy classes will start at eight o'clock sharp. More shall be explained during your first course of the year.

"Again, welcome all new-coming students, and excel in your classes!" There was a click, followed by silence, save for the chattering of the students.

There was a string of letters and numbers next to my name. But was that my dorm room number or my classroom number? I decided it was my dorm room number, and I got up and hefted my wrapped sword. I went through the unlocked doors of the Academy, finding myself in a hallway filled with other students. There were different color collars on their necks; red, blue, yellow, gray, and a sandy color. Many of them were conversing with one another.

A bell rang throughout the school, which the students dispersed to different directions while saying their goodbyes. I walked down a hall that was marked "first-year classrooms," seeing that Class One was the first classroom to the door. I walked inside to find two sections of three rows of three desks and chairs. A podium dominated the front of the classroom, along with a black-board.

I looked at the desks, which had names scrawled on them I found my seat in the second row to the far left, next to a window. I set my wrapped sword down by leaning it against my desk, then sat down in the chair and rested my head on my palm. I stared at the blank blackboard as a few students filed inside, finding their group separated to different parts of the classroom. It took two more minutes for the classroom to be filled, save for one empty desk; the one behind me.

The bell rang again, and in stepped a rather large, bald man with glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. He stood poised, like a professional speaker. Everyone in the class fell silent. "Welcome, all of you!" he said in a loud voice. "My name is Gengoro Ounabara, and I shall be your chief instructor during your time at the Academy! All of you are students in First-Year Class One, a special accelerated program for only the _highest_ scoring individuals.

"Being that, I shall not allow anyone here to slack off until he or she is a member of any of the Soul Society's elite military forces. You shall form the core of the Soul Society's fighting force, and it is imperative you dedicate your mind and body to perform all the tasks we assign you." Ounabara shuffled some papers in his hands. "The Gotei Thirteen and Central Forty-Six, our main government officials, have given us rules that every Shinigami _must_ follow unless punishment wishes to be enacted upon.

"Number one! It is against the law to transfer any power or powers into a human. To do so disrupts the balance of the Soul Society, and creates a strong Shinigami that we may not be able to account for.

"Two! It is against to law to use Forbidden _Kidō_! This includes all time-space related _Kidō_, in which anything that can be dangerous can enter the Seireitei without any of the Gotei Thirteen's knowledge! We shall learn about Kidō later on in the school year."

"Three, all forms of treason is punishable. From creating a weapon of destruction to killing a captain or any murder, including terrorism, uprising, or any acts associated, shall be exiled, imprisoned, or executed!"

"Four! It is against the law for _any_ Shinigami to acquire or attempt to gain Hollow-like powers! To do so imbalances the Soul Society, and causes destruction to a degree where we do not want to reach.

"Five! Any Shinigami that kills a human, and that target is unassigned, shall be imprisoned."

"Six, all Shinigami are not allowed to meddle with affairs between noble familes, unless it becomes evident that one must step in, or a family has included a said Shinigami or group of Shinigami.

"Seven! The same _Zanpakutō_ cannot be wielded by two Shinigami, whereas the two must fight for the death over the spirit of the Zanpakutō. It is written as thus by ancient law. We shall learn about Zanpakutō later this year.

"And eight! No Shinigami may stay in the Human World longer than he or she is assigned! If not found, he or she will be considered dead, or attempting rebellion against the Soul Society. Any questions?"

No one raised their hand. Ounabara then nodded and said, "Then on we move on. Classes start at eight o'clock sharp. Any person not inside the Shino Academy courtyard shall be locked out. Dismissal depends on the instructor, at the end of a lesson or when the instructor feels everyone is comfortable with the learning materiel.

"So! We shall begin our first lesson. There are four main military forms, _Hohō_, _Kidō_, _Hakuda_, and _Zanjutsu_. We shall begin with Kidō, our _magic_ or so Rukongai residents call it. The spell you used in the registration test was Kidō, the weakest Hado spell in its like; being level one.

"We shall teach you more Kidō, except that you must know the_ kotodama_, a short chant, behind the spell! The incantation is a form of release for a spell, allowing it to reach full potential when the kotodama is spoken.

"However! If the kotodama of a Kidō spell is mispronounced, the spell will explode in your face, or however far your aiming hand is. Although not doing any damage to oneself, it restricts the use of any other Kidō for a few seconds through the inconsistency in your reiatsu, as well as incapacitating you for some time. Any other questions?"

A hand shot up, asking, "What is an example of a Forbidden Kidō?"

"Imprisonment shall be a punishment for one. Therefore, no one shall be taught Forbidden Kidō" I caught him muttering "unless one gains access to the Kidō Safes or learns it from eavesdropping the Captains, also forbidden..."

Another hand was raised. "Are there other kinds of Kidō? You said 'Hado', so aren't there other kinds?"

"Bakudo is the category for defensive and binding spells, and healing spells has no official name; no spell name is spoken anyway. There are three forms of Kidō; in all." The student nodded to show he understood. "I shall expect all of you in the Kidō Training grounds! We will discuss the Hado spells there, and if you behave, may be able to practice Kidō as well. However, if any of you do not show up, then that is your fault for not taking opportunity to be an accelerated student, and shall be transferred to a different class. Dismissed!"

The room burst with chattering as the students packed up whatever they brought with them. The students filed out of the classroom, while I stayed behind until I was to be the last one out of the classroom. I followed the teacher out the door. "Socrius, is it?" he asked.

"Uhh yes, Sensei," I stammered. He didn't look at me to speak.

"Why aren't you with the other students?"

"I don't know anyone here," I said. "I grew up in a place of crime, poverty, and stuff like that."

"The registry did say you came from Sixty-Eight, the farthest we have had come here in this year of students. But one of our Captains, Kenpachi Zaraki, came from Eighty. He is a brutal swordsman, so I know what you mean. Someone like you can only gain friendship and respect from observation of your performance." He laughed softly. "You had the highest score this year of new students, you know? I never knew you could have mastered _Sho_."

"Really?"

"Perhaps to the skill level of a Seated Officer of a division. I expect much effort from you. Are you headed to the Kidō Training Field?"

"I'm following you to get there, actually." I shrugged, but he didn't notice. He just bobbed his head. He eyed my packaged sword and said, "I wish to speak to you after the lesson."

* * *

><p>Only a handful of other students, two girls and two guys not including me, were at the Kidō Training Grounds, which left me thinking if it was more like a college than a school. Ounabara-sensei stepped forward and addressed the class. "It saddens me to see how many students want to become Shinigami. To practice Kidō is a part of being a Shinigami anyway..." he shook his head. "So! Kidō, as I have said in class, is composed of mainly three categories: attack or Hado, defense or Bakudo, and healing spells. We shall practice Hado now.<p>

"You are familiar with Hado level one, _Sho_. From your observation, it thrusts a target backward. Since it is one of the lowest level Hado, it requires no kotodama to show its full potential, rather concentration. Others, level four and up, mainly require a kotodama to release full potential.

"We shall start with accuracy! To test this, the Hado spell is Byakurai, level four Kidō The incantation will be as follows:

"_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter by wings, who bears the name of Man! __  
><em>_Hope and hate, overcome those castle walls, flood us wit__h victory! Hado four, _Byakurai_!"_

Ounabara-sensei pointed at a target, which a pale blue lightning bolt shot from thereof, crashing into the target and leaving a hole with singe marks.

"Of course," he said, blowing out the column of reiatsu smoke rising off his finger, "at your skill level, you shall have at least a small soot mark in the target, or probably leave a small dent in the target. There are five of us, and five target lanes. So I'll let the five of you get three _Byakurai_'s each, then find and average." He stepped back a few steps to observe, while I took my place at the far target lane.

I pointed my right hand, pointer finger and thumb at the target, and rested the indent between my thumb and pointer finger at the small bulls-eye dot.

"Ye lord," I chanted, focusing on my finger, using my left hand to keep it still, "mask of flesh and blood, all creation, flutter by wings, who bears the name of Man. Hope and hate, overcome the castle walls. Flood us with victory.

"Hado four, _Byakurai_!" I half-felt like a fool for saying something so random.

A bolt of electricity erupted from my finger, passing into the target's inner ring area and cleanly piercing it. The bolts of lightning of the other students buried themselves in the outer or middle rings of the target. I smiled, being able to use Kidō in a visibly offensive manner. I shot twice more, all the while including the kotodama.

"Everyone round up!" Ounabara-sensei said. "We shall now see what our scores were. He walked to the first target, a dent marking the rim of the target, one on the middle ring, and the last was somewhere in between that. "A thirty-six of a hundred. Not bad for a first try."

The second target had all of the shots within the middle ring zone. "A forty-seven. Good job..."

The third had only two dents, both in the outer ring. "Where's the third mark?" The girl pointed at a higher target, marking somewhere near that target's bulls-eye "Forty. Try practicing your aim, then power." The girl nodded her head and looked back at the target.

Ounabara-sensei walked to the fourth student's target, seeing them all scattered around the target board. Almost all of them were just a smudge against the wood. "Twenty-five," Ounabara-sensei evaluated. "You will need to work on power and aim, then you will master Kidō."

Soon, everyone crowded at my target, where I pierced all my shots at the inner rings, one almost grazing the bulls-eye. "Seventy-seven," Ounabara-sensei said. "I just cannot believe the score myself. That has barely ever happened before," Ounabara-sensei said from behind me, looking somewhat impressed. "Only one other person, Hinamori Momo, was able to pierce the target with a _Byakurai_. I must say you have much potential." He turned to me. "Your aim is very exceptional, and the power behind it is very good too, as of now. Perfecting it is only a matter of time." I nodded my head. "That is all for today, students. Search your names on the registration sheets in the courtyard, and settle in. As of now, only the Kidō Training Field is open to enter. Dismissed!"

The students started to walk out of the open building, but I stayed behind. "You had wanted to speak to me, sensei?" I asked him when everyone had gone.

He turned around and looked at me. "I did. I was wondering, how were you able to get your hands on an _asauchi_? We weren't going to be introducing Zanpakutō until another two or three weeks."

"Oh, an innkeeper whose in I used to help out at gave it to me as a goodbye gift. She said that it belonged to her son, and wanted something good to come out of it despite being stored away for quite some time."

Ounabara-sensei nodded his head. "I see..." he said. "Very well, I shall let you keep it, but do not take it out until I introduce the Zanpakutō." He turned around. "Feel free to roam Seireitei, but stay out of the Gotei Thirteen boundaries and barracks. Those places are off limits. Also, curfew is at sundown, but that isn't until in another four hours."

I nodded. "Thank you for your guidance." Ounabara-sensei left the open building, leaving me to my lonesome. I shrugged, walking to the Shino Academy main courtyard. I looked at the paper and identified my room number. B101 was what it said. Building B, Floor One, Room One was the destination when the key explained the room strings. I sighed as I turned to the Academy map, then walking off toward the dormitory buildings.

I walked through the eastward school corridor, passing a handful of students that decided to hang out in the hall. I took a left turn at the three-way intersection at the end, following the signs pointing to the dormitories. I located the building, and entered inside, where other Shinigami students were lounging in the relaxation room to the right. Two students were conversing in front of the receptionist.

"Room B101," I told the receptionist. The Shinigami there looked through a book, and read off my name. When I confirmed it, she gave me a key on a string, along with the room tag. I walked through a small curtain to the dorm corridors and found my room. I unlocked the door and looked inside.

It was a small room, a table in the middle of the room and a small desk with a cushion placed in front of it. A few blank sheets of paper were set to a side, next to a jar of brushes and quill pens. The closet contained extra undershirts, uniforms, and night clothing, with a hatch in the wall, labeled "Dirty clothes go here." Besides that, a rolled up futon was placed. A view of outside was just out the window. To the left was to a room that appeared to be a washroom.

I sighed. This place was more secure than when I lived in that cramped hideout, being under a roof rather than open air with only a tarp over my sleeping area. I left the building, locking it behind myself.

Not until sundown, so I may as well take a walk around. I exited the building, heading out of the front gates, where a group of three students had exited. I took a left, seeing the Seireitei mini door closed. I sighed, turning another left into the main Seireitei streets. I walked into a Shinigami accessory shop, finding all sorts of clothes, snacks, drinks, and even new shoes and sandals. I noted a pair of gloves with a metal band on its back, finding it to be pretty cheap compared to the prices I saw around the store. I immediately took the gloves and paid the seven-hundred kan used to purchase it.

Exiting the store, I looked up to see the landmark of Seireitei, Sōkyoku Hill. In the brochure, there was the picture of a spear, but wherever what was wasn't on Sōkyoku Hill anymore. I located a flight of stairs at the hill's side and climbed up the stairs, step by step. I watched Seireitei lower in elevation with each passing step. I reached the top, seeing a forest of white trees in front of me. They seemed old but I didn't stop to identify whether it was actually wood, as I passed between the trees. When I exited the grove, the remains of a guillotine object lay on the rocky plain in front of me.

That should have been the Sōkyoku I walked over to the remains of the execution spear, sweeping my hand over the wooden pieces. I felt power brim through the debris, as if a cache of power was left over from some of the million Zanpakutō power it bore.

"You..."

I turned around. I swore there was someone with me, but I saw only the terrain and the white trees.

"You came...?"

I must be hearing things. I shook the voice out of my head as I brought out the Asauchi that was on my back. I unwrapped the canvas cloth and revealed its dark blue sheath and hilt. I drew the sword, which carried no power of its own, unlike the Sōkyoku remains. Maybe Zanpakutō were unique in some way.

"How did you come here?"

"I climbed the steps," I answered, then realizing there was no one there. I sighed, then lifted the Asauchi. At about this time, I would train using a sword, or think up new techniques. I thought for a minute before I spun around while slashing at the open air, trying to master speed and ferocity at the same time. I had no real goal ahead of me other than just doing that. When my hands felt clammy, I resorted to practicing my fist-fighting and kicking. Improvisational martial arts, I called them.

I was out of breath when I decided to stop, in addition to the heels of my feet aching. The sun was about to dip behind the tallest building, so I packed up my things; sheathing the Asauchi and wrapping it up; then walked down the stairs. I will come here everyday to practice my physical fighting. And whenever other time, I shall practice Kidō at the Training Field.

I retraced my steps back to the Academy, entering through the gates just before they shut behind me, and the light almost immediately went dim. I frowned as I thought I was going to be late if I had stopped any sooner.

I walked to the dormitories where most of the other students were headed. I retreated to my room, lighting a lantern by the door. The flickering flame immediately lit up the small room. I took off my uniform and undershirt and threw them into the dirty clothes chute while grabbing a set of night clothes from the closet. I took a shower in the washroom, taking a towel of one of the bars hung against the wall.

When I finished showering and put on my night clothes, I unraveled the floor bed from the closet and set it on the floor. I moved the small table so that I was more of a night table. After extinguishing the lantern light, I set the pillow and blankets on the floor mattress, then crawled into the covers.

I looked up at the ceiling. From the window, moonlight streamed into my face, resembling the full moon from when I was still alive.

Alive... but I am dead.

But can I go back to my original life?


	4. 3: Zanpakutō

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part I: Learning Arc**

**Chapter 3: Zanpakutō**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These ****characters (and ****Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>The class spent the first three weeks practicing Kidō, learning Hado up to Thirty-One <em>Shakkaho<em> and Bakudo up to Thirty-Nine _Enkōsen_. Kidō became mandatory since half of the class neglected the option to become "successful" Shinigami, and threatened them that they would be transferred to a different class. Apparently, some actually _were_ dropped, and were replaced by students from other classes. Rumors around the Academy said that the new Class One arrivals decided whether to be admitted to transfer to Class One or not.

Also, ever since my first day of training on Sōkyoku Hill, I didn't hear that voice, even when I sifted my hand through the Sōkyoku remains. I was relieved that the voice wouldn't bother me anymore.

It was week four now. As usual, I got up, washed my face, and got into my uniform. I strapped the asauchi to my back, all wrapped up in its canvas. I brushed my uniform off and headed out the door, locking it behind me. I sighed as I started to walk down the corridors.

Even with the outstanding performance I have in class, I still didn't have a friend to talk things over with. Maybe it had something to do with time that wasn't spent in the Academy and on Sōkyoku Hill. Someone decides to knock on my door for five minutes to find out no one is there. I found that annoying at first, then rather depressing.

I entered the classroom and sat down in my seat, waiting for the other students to take their seats, and Ounabara-sensei to arrive. When the classes were supposed to start, he came in no learning material. I grew confused, but he started to speak already.

"We will be in the Zanjutsu Training Hall for today. It is there we shall be having our lesson." Everyone groaned as they got up from their seats to exit the room. I joined the rest of the class as they filed out of the classroom behind Ounabara-sensei, walking outside. Their chattering grew louder as we walked and approached a black-roofed building that seemed three stories high.

An earthquake seemed to shake the ground. I barely staggered, as did four others. The rest of the Class fell at their knees and took a while to get back on their feet. "Dammit," I heard Ounabara-sensei curse under his breath, "is Zaraki-taichō at it _again_?"

When everyone stood up, they followed Ounabara-sensei into the dojo. Racks of Zanpakutō were hanging from the rows, identical in design and color. Only the hilt and sheath sizes differed. Ounabara-sensei stopped at the first rack. "All of you should have mastered Kidō, Bakudo to Thirty-Nine and Hado to Thirty-One, with the kotodama memorized. Today, we will be introducing another branch of the _Zankensoki_, the main combat form, sword-fighting."

He picked up a Zanpakutō from the rack. "Upon your admittance to the Gotei Thirteen, you must show us mastery of the four combat forms, which includes Zanjutsu; sword-fighting. Those whom are thinking of joining the Stealth Force or the Kidō Corps need no Zanpakutō to operate effectively, but it is still a requirement to pass Shino Academy. These Zanpakutō, asauchi, have the same appearance as a sealed Zanpakutō, but their cutting power is deficient compared to a personal Zanpakutō.

"I wish everyone to find an asauchi to their liking, and form pairs! In this lesson, you must have a partner in order to pass everything! You shall stick with that partner for the rest of the term. When you have found your partner, line up in front of me."

The room burst into chattering voices yet again, swirling with motion. I just took a seat at the wall I was leaning against. To my left, another person, a boy somewhere my age, taking the same bored expression I bore. He noticed me and sidled next to me. "What's up?" he asked. His hair was a curly mess and his eyes seemed to speak loneliness.

"Bored," I replied. I stared at the floor.

"Same." He sighed. "What's your name?"

"Kai Socrius."

"Brandon Lee. My parents say it is Lee Brandon, with the last name first, but the Asian format of names is beyond me."

I nodded. "I just prefer to be called Kai Socrius."

"Well, my parents gave me that name. I was born in the Seireitei."

"I died and ended up in East Rukongai, District Sixty-Eight." I almost knew where this was going.

"Want to be partners?" he asked. "No one wants to be my partner, or has talked to me since I was admitted. Maybe it was because I was born from a noble family."

"Ha! I'm the same as you, except I was from an unruly District in Rukongai!" I sighed. "Why not, let's be partners; no one else will be anyway." Brandon and I got up and walked into line. When Ounabara-sensei noticed us, he raised an eyebrow at the two of us. A suspected outlaw paired with an heir of a minor noble family; who would have guessed?

"The first lesson will be practicing swings, stabs, and blocks. All sword techniques stem from any of these three moves; counterattacks or other choreographic moves." Ounabara-sensei drew his own sword. "Everyone will watch how I move, then imitate the movements on your partner. The one who is not practicing swings will be blocking the movements. And be careful; the asauchi are actual swords, they can cut people! Anyone injured shall stay where he or she is and have the partner come tell me so I may heal whoever is injured." I sighed as we all took a seat to watch Ounabara-sensei perform the movements. I already knew all of these moves, and silently dozed off and not knowing it either.

Brandon shook me awake when Ounabara finished his lesson, and I felt refreshed for some reason. "Did you get anything he was trying to teach us?" he asked me. "He says things so vaguely that I can't even understand it."

"I learned all of this already," I said. "But I can teach too." He helped me up and we found an open court, just as the ground seemed to shake again. Everyone turned to a flight of stairs to see a tall man with seven straight spikes for hair that outgrew his shoulders with an eyepatch covering his right eye, a vertical scar cut over his left. He wore a white coat over the Shinigami uniform and his Zanpakutō was rested on his right shoulder, although I could see strips of bandages on the hilt.

"Zaraki-taichō," Ounabara-sensei said, "don't tell me you destroyed the Gotei Thirteen Training Reigais again."

"Too late," he said. "This the new first class? I really can't wait until they fight me thirty on one."

Ounabara-sensei shook his head. "Class, this is Division Eleven Captain, Zaraki Kenpachi-taichō." The dull drone of "good morning, Zaraki-taichō" filled the room. "Look," he said to _Captain Zaraki_, "if they do fight you, I'm thinking you'll break their arms just by trying to hit you."

"Fine, I don't want to have them snap their little bones." With a disappointed air, Zaraki-taichō left the building, with everyone blanched in fear of the last exchange of words.

"Start those exercises, what are all of you waiting for?" Ounabara-sensei clacked his Zanpakutō sheath against the floor, the room bursting with motion.

I sighed as I said, "So who'll do what?"

"I'll block then..." Brandon said with a descending sigh. He drew his Asauchi and tapped its edge, silently commenting on its sharpness. He took a large swing, then looked at it. "Something feels off."

"Probably its balance," I said. "You'll get used to it." After that, we started practicing the moves Ounabara-sensei taught us, not that we actually cared.

* * *

><p>Most of everyone was covered in sweat when we finished, which I wasn't one of them. The training hall was air-conditioned somehow; I thought things like that only existed in the Living World. Besides, the training lesson wasn't as long as my self-conditioning on Sōkyoku Hill.<p>

"So what do you after classes?" Brandon asked me.

"Go to Sōkyoku Hill to train myself. It gets lonely there, all alone and stuff. I don't think anyone goes there anymore, since the Sōkyoku is gone; the hill is just a landmark."

"I guess... I really don't have much to do anyway. I would go home to my brothers and sisters, but I would have to file out my leave. They don't care how close or far away it is." Brandon and I exited the Training Hall and out of the Academy grounds. "I want to see how you train. Your moves seemed faster and smoother than the other students'."

"I've held this sword for the last month, and many swords before this one. I almost live with it," I said smirking.

Brandon didn't mind my comment, but looked up at the hill. "Don't you think we should just take the lift from the Senzaikyū? It would be easier than rock climbing, although less strenuous."

"We take the stairs," I said, going around until I saw a low wooden gate. Brandon looked up and traced the stairway.

"Damn..." he muttered as I unlatched the gate. "Every day for the past _month_?"

"Yep. No life, huh? I usually don't do these kinds of things." Brandon shrugged as he followed me past the gate and up the stairs. We raced each other up the stairs, mostly just at a pace where we were side by side. The flight was slower than yesterday, probably because Brandon was with me. We reached the top, passed through the white forest, and looked across the mesa. "That was the Sōkyoku, right?" Brandon pointed at the rotting timber.

"It was," I said as I nodded. "Every day, I climb those stairs, sprint through the forest, and train myself on this ground." I didn't want to tell him of the voice that I still hadn't heard for a month, even though it was absent.

"You really must be top of the class," Brandon hummed. "I transferred here when open spots were open, so I probably don't have as much experience with the Kidō part." We walked out to next to the Sōkyoku, drawing our swords. "They taught you healing Kidō, right?"

"Only to staunch bleeding," I confirmed. "If one of us accidentally gets cut, we stop there and just wait for the pain to go away. Maybe I can mend flesh if I practice enough, but I'm not a masochist, so I'm not to go to cut myself just to test my healing Kidō."

"I see how it is." He readied a standard opening stance, two hands on the sword as he held it out in front of him. I held it at my side, both hands on the hilt, relaxing into a firm grip. "Hey, go easy on me, okay?"

"I'll try," I said. We both ran forward at each other with our swords raised high at each other. Brandon first brought a downward slash at me, which I was able to block easily. Letting his sword slide down mine, I pushed it away and swung at his legs, only to have it trapped under his foot. Finding an advantage, he swung at my arm, which I ducked under. He brought his sword around in an arc and down upon my sword and trapped it. I left the sword and Brandon brought his Asauchi in for a wide stroke, which I ducked and grabbed it by its flat length with the flats of my fingers. I grabbed at the hilt and twisted the sword, which which caused him to lose his grip and the blade was flung to the side.

"Does it end there?" Brandon asked.

"There's fist-fighting," I said, throwing a punch at his head. He weaved head out of the way and held my arm. I kicked his leg, tripping him and releasing his grip on me. He grabbed my Asauchi from the ground, to which I grabbed his arm and wrenched the sword away from him. Sadly, I didn't have a tight enough grip to regain possession of it, and the sword flew out of reach.

He launched a punch at me, which I blocked with my forearm and countered with another punch, but he copied my block. I twisted my arms and threw them open, aiming for a push to his chest. He brought his knee up to my hands, knocking them up. He quickly set his foot down and used his other leg to kick my side. I blocked that strike with my leg. I jumped back with my other foot, putting distance between us.

"I have to admit," I said, "your Hakuda is pretty good."

"Yeah, thanks. My siblings and I usually get into fights." He smiled at me.

I lowered my stance. "I think I'm done for the day," I said, walking to get my Asauchi. "Maybe tomorrow. Who knows how good we have to be in order to pass the finals."

He shrugged. "I guess. We get back the same way we came in?"

"Yep," I said, "stairs." Brandon sighed as he went to pick up his Zanpakutō. He sheathed the sword and followed me through the forest, down the staircase, and through Seireitei For some reason, most of the Shinigami were missing from my usual walks to Sōkyoku Hill. We entered the Academy Gates, which closed right as we stepped into the courtyard, the sunlight dimming into night.

"What's your room number?" Brandon asked. "Mine's B109."

"B101," I replied. "Are we in the same hallway?" We stopped at my door. I unlocked it and rested my hand on the doorknob, but didn't open it.

"Guess so," Brandon said. "Will you always train at the Hill when classes end?"

"Yeah," I said. "The only friend I have is you, and I like having something to do; which sitting in my room isn't one of those something's." Brandon hummed, then proceeded toward his room as I disappeared into mine. I washed up, changed into my night clothes, and wrapped myself in the covers. "There's always a tomorrow..." I said to no one in particular.

_"To try once more,"_ said a voice. I blinked, jolting up in bed. Outside the window was the moon, several stars blinking. I rubbed my eyes, just realizing I had been sleeping for a while.

"That voice again..." I muttered to myself. "I can still hear it after a month?" I shook my head before letting it rest on the pillow. What is the meaning of it anyway?

Is something wrong with me, or is it a kind of sign?

* * *

><p>The next few days became the same. Go to class, climb up Sōkyoku Hill, train with Brandon, practice Kidō if weren't too tired, and then bedtime. Usually, we would take the sample foods from the cafeteria, which was more of a "help-yourself" snack bar, when we felt hungry for either running or training too hard.<p>

But when does the real thing begin? When do we fight the Hollows?


	5. 4: Blink of an Eye

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids  
><strong>

**Part I: Learning Arc**

**Chapter 4: Blink of an Eye**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. ****These characters (and ****Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>"Don't you think we got to Sōkyoku Hill faster than last time?"<p>

I looked at Brandon, after we managed to run all the way up Sōkyoku Hill without changing pace. Classes had ended about twenty minutes ago. "I guess so," I replied. "It did take us about twenty five minutes to get here last time. I guess we did get here faster..."

"It doesn't feel as if we got tired or anything either, after all that running." He slowly drew his asauchi from its hilt and we had our usual skirmish. When our sword arms became ached, we resorted to Hakuda or one fights sword-less while the other wielded his sword. I was surprised at how we managed to do any of this efficiently.

Sundown came faster than we anticipated, and we ran the way back to the academy. The gates were about to close, and the two of us barely passed through. "Not fun..." I sighed, trying to catch my breath. "After training, we would be late..."

Brandon collapsed onto the floor. "My legs... they burn...!" We then decided to take a rest in the courtyard before we decided to take the sample foods from the cafeteria.

"Been out the whole afternoon, you two?"

I looked up to see Ounabara-sensei walking toward us, hands behind his back. Brandon and I feigned pain as we quickly got up and bowed. "Good evening, Ounabara-sensei," we said. "Yes, we have been out," I said.

"You haven't been wandering about Seireitei, causing trouble, have you?"

"Why? Is there something wrong?"

Ounabara-sensei sighed. "I don't know, but the Shinigami from the Gotei Thirteen, the Ninth Company in particular, are having massive distractions with roaming students from the Academy. We don't know who is causing it, or why, but we just wanted any information that you may have been able to just pick up or something."

"How about you, Brandon?" I asked.

"Nope. I think Sōkyoku Hill is too deserted to have anyone hear anything." He shrugged.

"It was you two on Sōkyoku Hill?" Ounabara-sensei said. "I was feeling familiar reiatsu from that place, but I couldn't make out who it was."

"Is that something bad?" I asked.

"No, not at all; the Gotei Thirteen wished to thank the ones who came up with the idea of reciting moves there. Of course, you haven't noticed from the past month, because they start during classes and end when we end. Since it is a free admission; I was thinking of bringing the class to Sōkyoku Hill as a field trip very soon."

I nodded. "Brandon and I go to Sōkyoku Hill to train every day after classes, but we never see anyone leaving Sōkyoku Hill."

"You will learn about that tomorrow. Until then, get ready for bed; it's getting late." We bowed again as Ounabara-sensei walked away, then headed to the cafeteria.

"So, why do you train all the time, as if you are trying to kill yourself?"

I stopped eating, then looked at Brandon. "Hmm?" I asked.

"Every time we spar, you try the most life-threatening of parries and dodges. Why?"

I spun the chopsticks in my hand, rotating it against the base of my thumb. "I don't know. It may have something to do when I was alive, but I don't know what. But I came to this conclusion: the only way to overcome death and dying is to approach it close enough that one false move or falter will kill you. Any living being will become more focused on protecting oneself when in the face of danger.

"Shinigami may be dead people, but we can be killed. There is rebirth, at the cost of a new look and identity. All living things will do what it takes to stay alive, be it become faster or kill something or someone, and all consciences do that.

"No one wishes to face death, because the spirit of the body has already endured the hardship many times over. We do not know it, but our bodies and minds do. A long forgotten experience can be felt as if it was just five seconds ago that the last exorcism and embellishment of spirit happened. But that's just what I think." I took a sip of green tea from the cup that accompanied the meal.

Brandon sighed. "You can get all technical sometimes," he said.

"Yep, I kinda do that sometimes. I actually don't understand myself at all." I drained the tea and disposed of the food tray. "I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"G'night."

* * *

><p>Everyone met at the Zanjutsu Training Hall for the last lesson, which only spanned a five minute lecture. We were all seated cross-legged, listening to Ounabara-sensei speak. "There shall come a time when your Zanpakutō manifests itself, and becomes your weapon. That Zanpakutō is yours alone. Therefore, the Zanpakutō's power is limited to you only! It resembles you; how you act is how your Zanpakutō manifests itself, as it is a part of you!<p>

"If a Zanpakutō is broken, it will regenerate itself over time and it is advised that it is not used in combat until it is fully formed. In alternative, one can immediately remedy his or her Zanpakutō through the Twelfth Company's services, although with a fee.

"And the last thing; to be a Shinigami means to be connected with your manifested Zanpakutō. If you neglect that, your Zanpakutō will leave you and not display its power until you reconcile with it. We have had a few occasions where disharmony between a Shinigami and his or her Zanpakutō existed, and refusal to cooperate finalized that individual's death. Does everyone understand?"

There was a heavy silence, and I felt my hand shoot up. "Does it have anything to do with _voices_?" I asked.

Everyone, including Ounabara-sensei, looked at me. "Surely you haven't had them, have you?"

"Well, for a time. There isn't a definite time or time span of when it happens."

Ounabara-sensei seemed to ponder this, and gave me this kind of answer: "This doesn't happen to most students, but this is my hypothesis: your Zanpakutō is starting to manifest itself." I was near awed by this revelation, that I had been neglecting my Zanpakutō's calls, yet happy as the others had probably not heard the voice of their Zanpakutō.

I nodded as Ounabara stated that this was going to be the last branch of the Zankensoki combat forms. Kidō, Hakuda, and Zanjutsu we have already learned, and that left...

"Hohō," Ounabara-sensei said. "The art of movement. All of you can walk fine, yes? Hohō allows people to move faster than the eye can see, unless that person can perceive the steps with awareness. By steps, I mean by _Shunpo_; the Flash-Step, the basic Hohō skill they everyone should know, and which all Hohō skills originate from. Shunpo is performed by gathering Reiryoku, Spiritual Power, into your legs and pushing off, as if making a long-distance leap. The Hado One spell, _Shō_, seems to be part of this tactic, as one pushes off the ground in Shunpo as one pushes a target with Shō.

"We shall make our way to the Hohō Training field. Follow me."

The class groaned as they got up from sitting and reluctantly followed Ounabara-sensei out of the Training Hall. We then passed the Kidō Training Field and walked off another branch to an open field with white, straight-line markers. On the other side of the field were stations with wooden dolls, red X's on various parts of the doll. Ounabara-sensei unlocked its gate and the class filed inside. We all sat under a tarp on benches, safe under shade.

"This is the Hohō Training Field," Ounabara-sensei. "The track is for calculating the distance or velocity of a Shunpo stride. There can be other training units, as one can use the other stations to practice other Hohō techniques, such as Senka. Continuous use of this field will train your Shunpo skills, as well as Senka if one wishes to fight an inexperienced soul. Of course, a practitioner will be able to discern the target points of Senka.

"We shall only try this for two weeks! I hope you take the time to train during your leisure!"

Nearly everyone groaned again, as they all got up to participate in the exercise of Shunpo. Brandon and I waited in the disorderly lines made in front of the track. When I came to the line, I gathered my Reiryoku into my feet, feeling the world stretch, save for Brandon whom had shunpo'ed about the same time as I had. He seemed to be moving a bit faster than me. It was over almost as soon as it started.

"Feels kinda weird, moving faster than sprinting," Brandon commented. "The world seemed like it was gonna stretch."

"But it is very convenient, if you need to get somewhere quickly." I kicked out my legs. "It is a bit weird, yes." Brandon shrugged as we made our way back to the start of the track.

* * *

><p>Ounabara-sensei called everyone in after about a half-hour of Shunpo exercise. "Another Hohō skill is gathering reishi under your hands and feet," he said. "All Shinigami are able to manage this technique, and so it is imperative that you learn this. Through this technique, it is possible to 'jump' to high places since Shunpo is done in steps, not an actual teleport. It is used by passively mixing <em>Shō<em> and _Hiku_ to levitate for a short amount of time.

"Practice this during your free time, as we will not practice during class."

* * *

><p>"So we shunpo to Sōkyoku Hill now?" Brandon asked.<p>

"I guess so," I responded. "Go!" We burst off in a wave of speed, the world stretching out as we sped off toward the hill. We stepped on the tops of buildings before continuing Shunpo, as Sōkyoku Hill was quite a walk away from Shino Academy. But we managed to get to the Hill in a minute.

Faster than we had thought possible.

"We have a _lot_ of time..." Brandon said, slurring out the "lot". "So we pass this with Zanjutsu, Hakuda, and mix in Shunpo with it?"

I nodded as I drew my Zanpakutō "Well? Let's get going." We shunpo'ed toward each other, our asauchi smashing past each other in a shower of sparks. We wheeled around to face each other, ending into a sword lock as we tried to push each other down. When it was relevant that the blades weren't going to budge, we separated our swords before starting the choreographic dance, spinning and jumping for momentum. Our swords blocked the other just inches from our body. The occasional Shunpo was used only to cover distance, and only sparingly used. We put down the swords later, then started training our Hakuda and the scenario of Hakuda versus Zanjutsu.

We stopped after the small scrimmage of Hakuda, sitting on the ledge of Sōkyoku Hill and overlooking Seireitei. Our feet dangled over the edge as we talked. "_Zankensoki_ is finished for the two of us," I said.

"Yeah. Wonder what's next, after one more week of practice?" Brandon sighed. "Are we just going to do what we all have been training for?"

"I don't know. It's possible that we would all be training against each other for no reason than to understand how people fight. But Hollows don't fight like people; they fight like savage animals. Perhaps even to a degree that all they can do is rage and try to hit us." I grinned at the idea.

Brandon cast the thought aside. "Want to race back?"

"Let's go. We're done for the day anyway." We got up and we jumped across Seireitei, back toward the Academy before its gates closed.


	6. 5: Burial of the Different Dimension

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part I: Learning Arc**

**Chapter 5: Burial of the Different Dimension**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced ****into the story. These characters (and ****Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>Brandon and I filed into the classroom, as Ounabara-sensei instructed us to the other day. We took our seats, just four seats away from each other in the same row, but Brandon took the seat to my left since classes hadn't started yet. "We have Shunpo, Zanjutsu, Kidō, and Hakuda done," Brandon said. "What are we doing for the next few weeks of the school year?"<p>

"Most likely more conditioning," I answered, "and more Zanjutsu and Hakuda technique. We probably would be practicing the _Shakkaho_ and other Kidō stuff. We were only taught up to Hadō Thirty-One and Bakudo Thirty-Nine anyway. Maybe practicing to the point they won't explode in our faces anymore, as the others keep doing that… but we probably will be grasping the hang of techniques. Otherwise, there won't be anything to do but written work."

Brandon sighed as he returned to his seat, because the other students had started to file into the classroom. "So much for wasted time…" he said, and then went to sit down in his seat.

I yawned as put my head down. "Wasted time, huh…?" I asked as I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>You found me, <em>said a voice.<em>

"Who did I find?" _I asked back. I didn't see anything except for__ my own self. I was in my Shino Academy uniform, but I was no longer in the classroom. I turned my head, and I saw no one there… or anywhere._ "Where are you, I don't see anyone!" _The black skewed into swirls toward a white light, and I found myself on an i__sland of stone, surrounded by crashing waves._ "Where am I…?"

You found me… _said the voice._ Now… I can finally demonstrate my power…

* * *

><p>"We shall be demonstrating the main mission of the Shinigami!" My eyes bolted awake, finding the class had just started. I blinked incomprehensibly, then rested my eyes on Ounabara-sensei, whom had been looking at me indignantly. "You are all well trained in Zankensoki, and thus are able to travel to the World of the Living!" The class fell silent as the name was said. "… and as far as I know… only Socrius-kun has originated from there…" I felt all the eyes rest on me, which was very unnerving.<p>

"We shall drop by the Jigokuchō Lockers to pick up our Jigokuchō for passing through the Senkaimon. The alternate would be through the Dangai, which is much more perilous than we would have to go through the Senkaimon. File out, and follow your new instructor at the Lockers, as I have other duties to attend to. As always, bring your asauchi with you, you shall need it." The class slung their asauchi packs over their shoulders as they filed out of the classroom.

Brandon and I located each other in the crowd, almost bursting into conversation. "What will we expect there?" he asked. "There are sure to be _some_ dangers there."

I gulped as I remembered by first encounter with a Hollow. The monster was crawling up to me, taunting me to run and flee in terror as it toyed with me. It was when I tripped that it decided to eat me, then a Shinigami came to save me. There were more to be afraid of: other souls, spiritually-aware human beings like priests, a few determined church members, or the very least, exiled Shinigami. And the cars, which sped up to at least fifty miles-an-hour that could severely injure a soul in the night… prey for Hollows. And the reason why the humans won't slow down is because the majority of them are spiritually-deficient. "A lot of dangers…" I replied, "I would say to just stay with the group, and they won't bother you."

"_They_?" Brandon asked. I stayed silent as we followed the class line to the Jigokuchō Lockers.

The class entered the tower, which were surrounded with black butterflies with red tips. Some were flying free while others were fluttering or feeding in their cage confines. A Shinigami stood at the middle of the tower's ground floor, did a hand gesture as we approached and the butterflies cleared the air into their cages. The Shinigami turned to reveal a blonde haired man with droopy eyes, one of them covered with the curtain of yellow. A badge was tied to his left arm, the Kanji of three on it. "Good morning, Class One, First-Years," he said. "My name is Izuru Kira, Lieutenant of the Third Division. Ichimaru-taichō would have been here, but he isn't now…" I could tell he was in some kind of a depression. "Anyway, let us all go around the Lockers with a piece of the Jigokuchō food they have here. Crush it in your palm once, then go around the cages. It will be imbued with your reiatsu, and the first butterfly to come near your crushed food has chosen you; it is your Jigokuchō until you perish or your reiatsu is sealed away. Try it, and when the butterfly feeds on your food, open the door for it. It should seat itself on your shoulder or hover over your food." He started passing out a biscuit-like object, but strangely smelled of honey. "Don't eat it," Izuru had cautioned, "it causes massive indigestion in other souls."

I walked around the cages, presenting the crushed food to each of the other Jigokuchō The butterflies either remained oblivious of the food or retreated from it, although from other cages, other Jigokuchō started bashing itself against the back of the wall. Some of the students had their Jigokuchō already, and all of them were feasting on the food. I saw a butterfly that had, instead of red-tipped wings, have red-scaled wings and black tips. The wings seemed larger than the others I saw too. I motioned my hand toward the butterfly, and it crawled over to my gloved hand and promptly started nibbling on the crushed food. Its small head rose as I unlatched the door, and it flew on my shoulder. I raised my hand for it to keep eating, then returned to the ground floor.

"He got one from the second tier Jigokuchō," one student said. "All the others rejected him."

"His Jigokuchō seems different too," said another. "Red wings?"

Izuru walked over to me, about five inches over me. He nudged the butterfly on my shoulder onto his finger, and touched its wings delicately. He lowered the butterfly onto my shoulder and said, "A red-wing? Only Hitsugaya-taichō had a Redwing Jigokuchō..."

"Is it a good thing?"

"Well, I haven't seen many differences between the two, but there should be some." Izuru looked around the room. "Has everyone gotten a Jigokuchō? Yes? Then follow me, we're leaving Seireitei."

The class filed in front of the Academy, where Izuru had erected a tan gate in the original gates, a Senkaimon. "Everyone, let your Jigokuchō free, and follow them through the Senkaimon. Otherwise, follow me if you lose your Jigokuchō; it will appear at your side from the ground when the Senkaimon closes. Come on!" The class filed into the opened gates, obliterating our vision with white before revealing a bridge path across. "So the Captain-Commander had already sent us to the Konsō Training Grounds…" I overheard Izuru muse to himself.

_Soul Burial_, I thought, reminiscing to when I was first sent to Soul Society. "Tap the butt of your hilt on a soul's forehead" was the simple procedure that I figured out. I kept my head forward, seeing another Senkaimon gate ahead of us, opening as we approached it, revealing nothing about its destination.

I became enveloped in the light as I stepped into it, looking up into the night sky. An expanse of stars dotted the black sky, a bright white moon hovering in the air. We were standing on the top of a skyscraper, surrounded by metal boxes. Air conditioners, I remembered.

Izuru lifted his Zanpakutō from his sheath, and I noticed it was a red wrapped hilt and rectangular guard, his own Zanpakutō. He turned to face the class, and lifted his sword so that it rested on his shoulder parallel to the ground. "All there is to it is that you imbue a small amount of Reishi into your sword arm, and tap the soul on its body somewhere. This grants the soul access to Soul Society, but only if it accepts the burial. There may be some times where the soul may be in pain of the burial, but that is just because you tapped too hard." Izuru turned to see the soul of a decrepit old man. "I am here to send you," he told the soul simply.

"You will help me cross this road, youngster?" the man asked, looking at Izuru. Izuru merely nodded and tapped the man's forehead, the Kanji of burial glowing on his forehead. That was the same thing that had happened to me. The man was slowly dissipating away, his body becoming like blue stars.

"That was a lucky appearance for a soul," Izuru said. "Spread out into groups of three, and search around the curbs of roads, playgrounds, and bridges. Maybe you'll find some in cemeteries too. Meet back in thirty minutes." The class immediately burst into movement, grouping into threes. There were about seven groups of three, except that Brandon and I made a pair. Izuru dismissed us as he stood on top of a nearby telephone pole.

* * *

><p>Brandon and I walked down a street of tall corporate buildings, looking for souls to bury. Brandon kept asking me about the Human world; cars, doors, an enter sign, and a fence to name a few. I explained them to him, and I had explaining fences until I spotted one of a gardener behind one. "There," I said, "our last one."<p>

We shunpo'ed over the fence into the cemetery named Karaburi Morgue and Cemetery. The gardener had a bushy mustache and beard, his face obscured by a bucket hand, and wielded a rake in his hand. He was absently raking a pile of leaves into a pile before scattering them again. "My wife's having a baby now, and I can't go see her until I finish raking the cemetery grounds..."

"Umm, mister?" Brandon asked. "Are you in need of a burial?"

"Youngsters sending me to the hospital to see her?" The gardener asked, his Chain of Fate rattling with delight. "Please, take me!"

Brandon shrugged as he lifted his asauchi and tapped the man's forehead, his body dissipating away. "Oh, sweet Miyuki, I'm coming to see our little Takeshi..." And the gardener was gone.

"Weird person," Brandon said, sheathing his asauchi. I took no note of him as I looked upon a gravestone, a sudden curiosity of reading the name on it gripping me. I strode over to the rock, and I heard Brandon call my name. "Where're you going? We can leave now!"

I crouched down at the grave and looked over it. It seemed like a fresh grave, seeming to have been put down only within the last two months. I brushed away some moss from the lettering, and I could barely believe my eyes.

Here rests  
>Socrius Kai<br>In loving memory  
>1996-2012<p>

"Is that your grave?" Brandon asked me. "So this is your hometown."

I looked down, seeing a cup of water and a small bun placed at the rock. A small pile of coins sat next to the cup. I unwrapped the money, seeing it being a chocolate coin, and raised the cup, feeling a sudden feeling. I felt this touch before; my brother had left this here. So was the bun then. I lifted the cup to my lips and took a sip. Sugar water. Only my brother knew I loved sugar water. I drained the cup and ate the small bun, a "lava custard" bun too. The food should have only been put down within the last hour or so. There was a small box on the stone slab too.

"He cares, even now," I said. "He took this to me in the middle of the night." I looked at a building, one of its lights turning off. "I can tell he's working hard." I looked at the box and tucked it away in my shihakusho.

"Your brother..." Brandon said. "My brothers and sisters don't get along too well. We always fight amongst ourselves, unable to show who's better without beating each other up. My father is the Third Seat of the Second Division, and I take that spot next when I am a suitable Shinigami."

"Detention Unit, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah, I get to deal with prisoners in the Nest of Maggots." Brandon scoffed at the idea.

I turned, noticing the soul's whereabouts. How could a gardener die in a cemetery anyway? No one would kill a poor gardener anyway, and the souls that come from here... "Shit!" I cursed, turning around as my suspicions were confirmed. I drew my Asauchi into my defensive position.

"What's wrong?" Brandon asked.

"No questions asked, just jump." I prepared to swing at him.

"Why?"

"No questions, I said!" I swung my sword and Brandon jumped, my sword nicking his waraji. A rivet of blood spewed out accompanied by a shrieking scream. I saw a large hand become wounded before fading away.

"Dammit... I didn't want to be correct. Brandon! Did you see that?"

"Yes-sir," he answered, drawing his Asauchi. Our eyes darted around, searching for clues of where the Hollow would strike.

_"I am surprised that students as you can sense me,"_ a voice said. _"Very surprised."_

"Cowards hide in the shadow," I taunted. "Come out and fight!"

_"I cannot help my power. I _live_ in shadow. Remember my name; Nocturne..." _I blocked a slash from a claw of Nocturne's, which my sword scraped a patch of red. Dried blood.

"Brandon, I need a _Shakkaho_! Make light!"

Brandon uttered the spell and skipped reciting the kotodama. The ball of red energy sparked from his left hand and illuminated the area in red. I finally saw Nocturne: a large shadow with a snake's tail, long arms with wrist-blades. His hollow mask was unique too, bearing two red marks under each of his inverted color eyes, with layers of lines above his eyes. _"One who finally figured out my power..."_ it mused again. _"So many have fallen prey to me before they realized they needed a light source to expose me..."_ The Hollow passed through my shadow, hiding some of his body before phasing through the trees' shadows.

"So shadow is his hiding spot..." I said. I twirled around as I saw his shadow reflected by the moonlight, and barely caught his wrist-ax with my Asauchi. The impact jarred my hands; who knew Hollows could be that powerful?!

_"Your soul shall be tasty, indeed..."_ Nocturne mused, nearly biting my nose off when he lunged. I already saw the double mouths once, and it surely wasn't a pretty sight again. He phased away into the shadow once more, and I didn't know where he was going to strike.

No... _who_ he was going to strike! _Brandon!_

"Raise your head," called a voice, "_Wabisuke_!"

Nocturne's strike on Brandon was blocked by Izuru, who wielded a strange Zanpakutō that curved twice by ninety degrees at its end. "A lieutenant Shinigami!" Nocturne said, amused once more. "All the more reason to kill the three of you!" Nocturne unleashed a series of hits, which Izuru effortlessly blocked. The lieutenant bashed aside the last hit, and Nocturne seemed to be weighed down by his axes. "_What is this treachery?!"_

"Wabisuke doubles the weight of any object it hits," Izuru explained after shunpo'ing onto Nocturne's back. "Given that Wabisuke has hit you six times now, your weapon weighs sixty-four times the weight it originally is. The Hollow struggled to raise the axes, but to no avail. "You will die here," Izuru declared. "Be cleansed!" The Hollow's head was severed from its body, gasping as it dissipated into blue orbs as if it were experiencing Konsō.

But immediately after Izuru touched the ground, a stream of red energy raked the asphalt and enveloped Izuru, who was lain burnt on the road. "Izuru-fukutaichō!" I turned to see a large being, black against the night sky save for the pointed nose of its white mask, the ring of neck-spikes, and pale white hands. A sphere of red was charging at its mouth, just obscuring its face. "That thing... is huge! Brandon, move!" I yelled.

Brandon asked no questions this time as the red ball exploded just meters from where he was standing. The large Hollow stepped over the buildings until it was some twenty meters in front of me, and I saw that it was easily able to close that distance. "Run!" Izuru croaked as he muttered something into what seemed like a cell phone. "Izuru-fukutaichō.. attacked... Gillian Menos-Grande!" Brandon and I deserted Izuru as commanded by him, then stopped at a building.

"We're supposed to run! It's a huge Hollow!" Brandon screamed at me.

"I won't run from something like this," I declared. "I have been running from Hollows all this time, but now, that is gonna change." I unsheathed my Asauchi, raising it so that it was parallel to the ground and the sharp edge was facing the Hollow. "I don't know how much power I am feeling right now, but I think I will be able to finish this thing in a few blows."

"You're an idiot! It took out a damn lieutenant in one hit!" Brandon cried after me as I shunpo'ed at the Hollow.

_It was called a Menos Gillian, Izuru-fukutaichō said..._

I landed on its arm, which tried to hit me away with its other arm. I jumped over each consecutive swing, ending up on one of its spines. I felt the heat of the red energy ball try to suck me in as I figured I was on a very dangerous place to be; the spike in front of its mouth. I shunpo'ed to the top of its head and hacked at the crown of its head. My Asauchi bounced off like a _Nerf_ dart shot at a balloon. _What...?_

The Menos knocked me off its head by pivoting its head in a spiral formation, and I was jettisoned away from it, probably by forty meters if it weren't for my Reishi traction with the ground. I jumped over another red energy ball as I leapt toward it again. The Hollow stepped again, knocking over a fire hydrant as it brought its foot down on the red container. Water gushed out of the hole the Menos made, soaking its foot and causing it to roar in anger. _Are they incompatible with water?_ I wondered, remembering the time I was attacked by a Hollow in Rukongai. It spilled a basket of water, and it was in pain as well. So is there a connection between water and Hollows?

I jumped onto its arm and jumped onto a neck-spike to its right. I took my fist and tried to pummel the Menos over, only to have my hand hurt by contact with its stone-like skin. Or is it that they can't mix rock against water, for fear of weathering their skin?

I wasn't able to think more as I was pummeled down toward the ground, landing near the fountain of water of the fire hydrant. _"Come... and I will help you..."_ the water seemed to say. My vision was fuzzy, as I landed in a crater. I could barely move; my body hurt everywhere. I could barely hear Brandon call my name over the gentle splashing of the water. It sounded like a song, somebody singing a soft song I used to hear:

_Win dain a lotica  
>En val tu ri<br>Si lo ta  
>Fin dein a loluca<br>En dragu a sei lain  
>Vi fa-ru les shutai am<br>En riga-lint..._

_The dragon, has woken up,  
>to look around<br>in darkness  
>A heart, that has frozen<br>has beheld, his sight  
>By another~ touch, frozen by...<br>cruel destiny..._

After recalling the song, I finally realized where I was; under a giant's foot and about to get smashed. I suddenly became attracted by the water as I shunpo'ed away from the foot and through the water, feeling invigorated by the stream soaking my body. I deftly sidestepped the Menos's step and impaled my sword into its jester boot. A stream of blood spurted out of the wound and the Menos howled in rage. I ripped my sword out and shunpo'ed upward, slicing the Menos's garment as I went up and cut the stone-skin that I wasn't able to cut through before. The mask was cleanly cut in half, and there was nothing to run through as the mask had been sliced through.

The Menos howled as it dissipated black, away from the world as its body scattered like the description of spirits fleeing an exorcised man. I softly touched the ground as I lowered myself with controlled Reishi, and Brandon shunpo'ing to my side. "How the hell did you do that?!" he demanded. "You took down a Hollow that took down a _lieutenant_!"

"I dunno," I said simply, feeling my body become heavy. I was cold and hot at the same time, and my body was hurting everywhere. I shivered in cold and gasped at the heat, dropping my asauchi in my seizure. I saw two black trapezoids against a fuzzy white and blue-ish black background, and I could hear them talking.

"My friend took down a huge Hollow," Brandon was saying, "that took down Izuru-fukutaichō! He was fine for a second, but now he is in a seizure thing!"

I felt a hand touch my forehead, but it was taken aback almost immediately. "Shit... it's Reiatsu Overload..." The man said. "We have to take him back to the Fourth Division barracks; take him to the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho, let him recover there. He will die if we do not act quick." I felt myself become encased in a blanket-like suspension. "Hisagi-fukutaichō and Iba-fukutaichō, carry Socrius-kun and Izuru-fukutaichō to Seireitei and the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho. Abarai-fukutaichō, round up all the first-year students and usher them back to the Jigokuchō Lockers to keep their Jigokuchō contained. Byakuya-taichō, I'm counting on your to watch after anymore Menos Grande or other Hollows that will interfere with the extraction."

"You needn't tell me anything," Captain Byakuya replied. After those words, I heard nothing, saw nothing, and felt nothing.

I was in my own little void.

* * *

><p>My back launched upward as my eyes unfolded open wide. All I remembered was that I blacked out a few minutes ago, and the last thing I heard was Byakuya's voice. I looked around, seeing Brandon sitting on a stool in front of me. "How're you doing?"<p>

"My head hurts..." I realized. "What happened?"

"Well, Ukitake-taichō says it was something called Reiatsu Overload, and you were expelling a lot of reiatsu in the process. I have only been told one other survivor Shinigami actually experienced the same thing, and his name was Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Strawberry?" I asked. "Really?"

"He is one to be reckoned with," answered a voice to my left. I turned to see Captain Byakuya sitting in a chair with his eyes closed and arms folded across his chest. He was wearing the same clothes I first saw him in, but his hair waved from wind coming through an open window. "I have fought him once, and his fighting style greatly matched mine. We are of the same level, Kurosaki Ichigo and I, until he saved Soul Society and the World of the Living by defeating Aizen."

"He must be really strong..." I said, not even caring who Aizen was. It seemed like a scary name, except it sounded innocent to go with it. "Were there others whom didn't survive?"

Byakuya's face slightly paled. "One died in the last thirty years; Overloads are rare. Aside that, do you feel better now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I feel great to the point it seems like I can take on a thousand of them Gillians right now!"

Byakuya exhaled sharply though his nose, and I noticed he was resisting the urge to laugh. "The Reishi Overload greatly increased your power. We have no idea how you attained the power, but the Reiatsu expelled was enough for me to go through the trouble of having to release my Shikai to rid the area of Hollows around the extraction point."

"Shikai?"

"The second stage of a Zanpakutō's release. You are sure to have learned it at Shino Academy, have you?"

"I have... speaking of which, have classes ended?"

"Why else would I be here?" Brandon laughed. "C'mon. We have to have our sparring match! I'll race you to Sōkyoku Hill!"

"I just healed, Brandon!" I reminded him. "Let's just walk there." I threw off the covers to see myself in a patient's gown. Byakuya pointed to a Shino Academy uniform set, to which I changed into in a nearby changing room. "Let's go!" I called, and Brandon ran out.

"Wait a minute," I heard Byakuya say. I turned and walked up to him, bowing.

"Thank you for saving my life."

"It is part of my job. But that is not what I wanted to say." He pulled me up from my bow and went down to a knee to look at me in the eye. "Your power... is unique. You are different from anyone in Shino Academy, and you are far more powerful than any of them. Defeating a Menos Grande is one, and obtaining a Reiatsu Overload is another. Doing any of those feats automatically place you under close surveillance. Control your power. If you get taken in by the Twelfth Division, I shall be behind you once you walk into their courtyard." With that, Byakuya exited through the door, leaving me alone in the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho alone.

"Right... Brandon's sparring match." I walked out and ran toward Sōkyoku Hill, Byakuya's words lingering in my mind.


	7. 6: Flourish of Steel

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part I: Learning Arc**

**Chapter 6: Flourish of Steel**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. ****These characters (and ****Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>Time has gone by so fast. Just yesterday, I thought Lieutenant Izuru had saved me from the Hollow, but now seven months' worth of conditioning had passed by, like water draining down a waterfall. I slowly got up from my bed and dressed into the Shino Academy uniform, tugging my kosode and hakama on. I sheathed my Asauchi on my hip, then walked out locking the dormitory door. Ounabara-sensei told us something special happened today, as a result of our training and determination. But what – what could be the reward of our actions?<p>

"Socrius!" called Brandon from his door. He finished locking his door and ran up to meet me. "So what do you think Ounabara-sensei was going to give us?"

"How should I know? Despite being at the top of the class, we don't know any of Ounabara-sensei's intentions. It bothers me that we have known our teacher for so long, yet we don't know any about what he expects of us."

"Yeah... it's a bit depressing. 'I have something that you will all enjoy tomorrow, as a result of your excellent training and high scores!'" Brandon mimicked Ounabara-sensei's voice, lowering it to meet the man's bass voice. I chuckled at his attempt, even though it was quite acceptable. "We will enjoy what? A day off? A lifetime's worth of money to spend on Soul Society goods?"

"You have enough money already," I told Brandon. We walked toward the classroom, our last day of the school year. The hallways were nearly devoid of students, but those people were only conversing amongst their friends. Some glanced at me, and their conversation grew almost inaudible. I could hear them say things, but I could only make out my surname; Socrius. Was it still because of that incident seven months ago, that I boasted a high enough Reiatsu to lure out a Gillian-class Hollow? That I was even able to _defeat_ it with an _Asauchi_?

"They're just jealous," Brandon whispered to me, and I dismissed their thoughts. We disappeared into the classroom and I took my seat while Brandon took the seat next to me. "Look, we have to find out what Ounabara-sensei wants to reward us with."

"Why do you care so much? There isn't much he can give us, and he probably is going to reward us with work or more conditioning for all I know."

"How about a new technique?"

"Highly doubted," I said, causing Brandon to frown. "Besides, I don't know many more techniques I can use against Gillian-class Hollows, to the point that I can easily take one down right now."

Brandon scoffed. "_Could_, you mean. You do know you were quite exhausted after I saw you do it. You got shipped to the Fourth Division barracks; no other student was able to go even if they had a sliced muscle or tendon."

"Those injuries heal after a month or two anyway," I argued. "I believe leakage of Reiatsu is not healthy in a Shinigami, but at least I feel as if I've gained more presence in the school. It's a bit annoying if you ask me; I can't walk around minding my own business anymore." I glanced a group of boys and they turned their backs to me.

"Sure. Your commanding aura is everywhere..." Brandon trailed off, resting his head on his palm. "How come you've got to have so much potential and so much Reiryoku?"

I tried to think about it. It couldn't be that I was given a bit of a Captain's Reiryoku through the Soul Burial, nor could my power have been boosted through the continuous training, only that I was able to execute the moves more easily. But my Reiryoku rose when I fought that Gillian. Why? Was that growth in Reiatsu of my strength?

The Academy bell rang, in which shortly after, students piled into the classroom, taking their seats. "See ya," Brandon told me with a wave, then returned to his seat as the class got situated. Ounabara-sensei entered the room with no papers, just himself and his Zanpakutō.

"I have all promised you something to enjoy yesterday," Ounabara-sensei announced when the class settled down. "But it is one you all have not expected.

"Because of the upcoming graduation day at the end of this year, all the other classes are holding a tournament between the students in each of the classes. All of you will be facing off in another in a tournament style, until one person is left. Every year, we will have these 'mock tournaments' to see how you have progressed in your fighting ability, the Zankensoki. I will tell you thought, that after you graduate your sixth year, you will be provided all of the necessary materials to survive in the Human World, along with being dispatched to various places around Rukongai or the World of the Living. But that doesn't mean you can slack; each Shinigami will be punished for their laziness, if it results in abandoning work to be left unfinished. If one leaves work, another must take the responsibility to finish it, or serious unbalances will concur on the Gotei Thirteen, Stealth Force, or the Kidō Corps: any branch of the Soul Society military!

"When a Division does not finish its work, the Division is punished. If the faction does not finish its work, the faction is punished. If the whole military force cannot finish the work, then may the mercy of the King of the Soul Society be upon us." Ounabara-sensei took a pause before continuing. "Every Shinigami is assigned a duty and that Shinigami is required to fulfill that duty. If any of you do not wish to have obligations, then I would suggest they quit now. You are trained in the way of the Shinigami only to fulfill these duties; leave now and you have successfully wasted nearly a year of your life."

No one raised their hand, which was a relief. "Everyone, come with me. We shall be on Sōkyoku Hill for this event."

* * *

><p>Everyone lined up on Sōkyoku Hill, using Shunpo to jump onto the top area. The place was grand enough for multiple fighting areas, which I didn't see during the self-conditioning Brandon and I had the previous day. <em>The daily conditioning the Shinigami had during our class probably knew of our event,<em> I realized._ They drew fighting arena markers to prove it! _Brandon looked over one of the arenas, which was a rectangle about a fifty feet long and about thirty feet wide, surrounded by flags. Large enough to accommodate movement, small enough for a boundary. And to top it off, about fifteen of them were erected from the face of Sōkyoku Hill; a third of a class can fight in a single rotation!

"The first set of matches are as follows!" Ounabara-sensei read off a string of names. I only listened for my name and Brandon's name, which I was paired with someone name Higari Nagata, a kid that was older than me by a year. Brandon wasn't included in this set, and I was sent to Arena Three. "You are to be able to subdue your opponent until resignation! The Fourth Division is here to take care of all the wounded and will heal those that are injured in this event, but will also act as referees on current health statuses. Fight for your life!"

When all the students were sent to their fighting areas, Ounabara-sensei started the countdown before calling us to fight. Higari dove forward in his starting stance, not clearing the distance with Shunpo. I saw a hesitation in his eyes; it was evident he heard the rumors; which were true, and he feared what I could do and proceeded with caution. He swung his sword in a vertical arc, to which I was able to block. I pushed his sword away and aimed a cut at his chest, only managing to cut off part of his sash as he shunpo'ed away from me. I shunpo'ed to behind him, barely scoring a stab at his side. He disappeared from my sight and I was able to block a strike from behind, slicing my sword through the air and over my shoulder. I pushed the sword away before kicking him in the stomach.

Higari went down gasping for breath, but quickly got back up and shunpo'ed toward me. He unleashed a furious series of slashes and stabs, taking me onto pure defense and unable to counterattack. It prolonged the fight, as one stance of dodging a stab put me out of place to hit an open area. I jammed my blade's guard into his, knocking him off balance and nicking the sleeve of his hakama. _Too much push,_ I told myself, spinning my sword menacingly while entering my starting position. Higari checked for signs of bleeding, but when he didn't notice any, he shunpo'ed in a zigzag direction, and I was able to discern his movements so easily for his slight, yet continuous, leak of reiatsu. I unleashed my own zigzag on him, our swords smashing into each other with ever-changing velocities. Sparks flew at our peaks, and they barely touched during our drops.

We culminated in a single smash that we skidded away from each other, he was on the ground as I vaulted myself up into the air. I gathered a platform of Reishi in the air to create friction with the air, and pointed at him. "Hado Four, _Byakurai_!" A jolt of lightning erupted from my finger, producing a hole in the rock next to his foot. I took advantage of the distraction I created and shunpo'ed toward him, swinging my Asauchi in a graceful arc. I heard the sound of ripping fabric, and Higari gasped in pain. I checked my sword's tip, which had a few drops of blood on it. "Good fight," I commented, walking up to him. I sheathed my Asauchi and placed my right hand over his arm, a small, shallow cut on his lower left arm. I staunched its bleeding, and the skin formed itself, turning red as the blood under it sealed the blood vessels inside.

"It was," he said. "Good fight, and good luck trying to beat Youmu." He walked away to submit his defeat.

"Youmu?" I asked myself.

* * *

><p>"I got through round one!" Brandon cried, slapping me on the back. "I watched your fight too, seeing how you used Kidō for a distraction. I'd say it was pretty professional."<p>

"Yeah, thanks," I said. "Your fight was pretty good too. You realize your Shunpo is the fastest of the entire class, right?"

"I thought yours was," Brandon said. "Is it?"

"Definitely," I replied. "It had been ever since we Shunpo-raced to Sōkyoku Hill that one day."

Brandon smiled. "We'll be having these scrimmages every day for the next week, right?"

"Yeah. I look forward to seeing how you have trained. I'm not going to Sōkyoku Hill to train anymore; actual combat is enough for me."

"I am also looking forward to fighting you too!" Brandon lifted a fist. "May the best man win?"

I smiled as I bumped his fist with mine. "Yes-sir," I replied. "May the best man win."

* * *

><p>When I actually looked at the tournament roster, I saw that Brandon and I were on opposite parts of the match-up. In total there were thirty-two people participating, so sixteen battles had been determined. The following parts to advance were <em>one, three, six, seven, ten, eleven, fourteen, fifteen<em>_, seventeen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-three, twenty-six, twenty-eight, thirty, _and_ thirty-two._ I was number Three, Brandon was number twenty-three, while the Youmu character was number twenty-eight. If Higari was right, about me going to have a chance at Youmu, it would be Brandon versus Youmu in the semifinals. I tapped the metal backing on my gloves in anticipation.

I looked back at the tournament chart and look at number one. Kanomi Hanako. Even the name sounded female, and I knew it was going to be a rough time. I resented the idea of fighting people of the opposite gender; I was more used to treating them nicely or leaving them to their business, rather than trying to pick fights with them. Dammit, sensei, why do you have to pit us against the opposite gender?! I cursed under my breath as I turned around. I stopped my foot as I felt an object underneath it, almost stepping on it and about to put my full weight down. "Excuse me," I said. I looked up to see a girl, dressed in the red version of the Shinigami Academy shihakusho uniform; brown hair, black eyes, and a bit shorter than me.

"No, it's my fault. Maybe I shouldn't have approached from behind." Her face flushed, turning red in embarrassment. "I just wanted to look at the match-ups..." I strode to the side, allowing the girl to walk past me. I noticed she was looking at the top of the chart, and her face paled. I knew instantly what was happening.

"You got paired up with Socrius, didn't you," I said.

She nodded meekly. "I've heard he was a bully, going around the school and declaring like he was some warlord child hailing from the outskirts of Rukongai. He's saying he was destined to win this tournament... and all the rumors seem untrue."

Finally someone who doesn't think I'm crazy or something... "Allow me to properly introduce myself," I said. "Do not be surprised, but I am Socrius Kai." She stood there frozen, and staring at me. "The rumors are untrue. You knew when I was about to step on your foot." Her gaze trailed downward, then back up at me. "Kanomi-san," I said, making her jump, "I will look forward to the match tomorrow afternoon."

I turned around, and after hearing her agreement, I started to walk away. It seems even more wrong when they aren't confident in themselves... Why?!

* * *

><p>I didn't want to fight this match. I was here, fighting the kind of person I didn't want to fight: a girl with no self-esteem. I wanted a challenge, nearly like Higari, not an easy win. The girl slowly drew her Asauchi and started in the training stance Ounabara-sensei had taught the class. She seemed determined to win, but her reiatsu leak said otherwise. She did not want to be here either. I drew my Asauchi and took my custom stance, which made Kanomi wince. It was something unfamiliar, but I felt as if I didn't need to fight.<p>

No! What am I thinking?! I steeled myself against my emotions. This must have been the way Contestant Two, Todoshi Uragiro, had lost! I had noticed that he was a fun-loving and heartful duelist, so he should have been able to win against Kanomi. Perhaps it was his nature that succumbed to not harming Kanomi. It isn't cheating, I told myself, it's a backfire of emotion! This is going to be hard; to win is like something inhuman, a boy beating up a girl. But I have to focus if I want to face Brandon; a duel that we had been practicing for without knowing it!

I already saw the fight. We knew each others' fighting style, so it would be hard for any of us to get an opening. I was the better at Hakuda, Kidō, and Zanjutsu, but Brandon was an adept at Shunpo and Hohō at that. Speed was better than power, but his concentration of attacks surpassed the amount of damage that power inflicted. We would both struggle to find an opening, and I imagined, just imagined – that the two of us were equal; we would find ourselves in a lock, our blades barely touching each others' chins or throats...

"The second round is about to begin!" Ounabara-sensei said, bringing back from my daydream. "In Arena One, we have Kanomi Hanako and Socrius Kai! In Arena Two... In Arena Three, Youmu Hirokazu and Couteau Castillo! In Arena... Six, we have Lee Brandon and Santos Gordon! If you are not in your respective arenas, do so now!" After a few seconds, Ounabara-sensei called out the countdown, and my grip became tighter. If I wanted to protect whatever reputation I had, I had to be strong and leave old feelings behind. As a Shinigami, one must never back down from a fight!

Kanomi disappeared from her standing position, baffling me for a split second. She appeared behind me, and I was barely able to block a slash at the back, my blade's blunt edge touching the back of my uniform. I twisted around while keeping my sword in place, then shunpo'ed backwards to gain distance. I concentrated on Kanomi's reiatsu signature and traced her... in front of me... beside me... behind me... one second.

Damn, she's fast! I jumped up and back-flipped over where she would be, then brought my Asauchi down. She caught my blade with an overhead block, then whirled around and tried to slash at my ribs. I deflected her blade with the metal backing of my glove. I had totally underestimated her! It's almost as if she has no social skills whatsoever... but she has extraordinary fighting skills! It's almost as if she's antisocial in a way.

I pushed her blade away and tried to stab her Kanomi's, which she twisted away from. I pulled my sword back in and shunpo'ed away, firing a _Byakurai_ at her. She deflected the Kidō with her own Byakurai_, _which created a small explosion. I shunpo'ed into the smoke and traced her Reiatsu signature to pinpoint her position. I looked up to see a darker streak of black jumping in and out of the smoke. "Hado Thirty-One: _Shakkaho_!" I launched a red sphere of energy behind me, hearing a deflection thud from behind me. Enkōsen? I shunpo'ed out of the smoke cloud in a wide arc to not risk placing myself in front of Kanomi, and spotted her closely watching the smoke, then traced the smoke to my position. She shunpo'ed toward me, literally in my face, and slashed at my foot. I felt the sword's tip nick the first few layers of skin as I tried to back away. I pushed her back with _Shō _and shunpo'ed toward her, aiming at her arm. She blocked the strike with an inverted blade, and our swords locked. We pushed against each other to fight for dominance and an advantage. I heard her whisper "Hado Four, _Byakurai_", and I was forced to give up the lock. I shunpo'ed away, the Byakurai bolt sailing past my face and exploded in the White Forest.

I glanced at the explosion before facing Kanomi. I raised my asauchi to block a strike, and I noticed something as she shunpo'ed away. I felt my hand be struck by a droplet. It wasn't raining, but as I looked closely, Kanomi was breathing heavily. _She must be reaching her limit_, I thought. She dashed forward again, starting the dangerous blade waltz. She first stabbed toward my chest, where I pushed the blade away from her intended destination. She weaved the Asauchi in the air, twisting it to guide its direction, then prepared it for a downward slash. I raised my sword to block, but felt nothing hit it. I used my knuckles to push away the flat of the blade to my left. A feint!

Kanomi's expression tensed for a second, then strafed backward. She shunpo'ed forward and swung her Asauchi in a wide arc and caughtmy Asauchi. The force of the blow jarred my hand and the Asauchi was carried away from my hand, clattering to the edge of the arena. She pointed her Asauchi at me, waiting for my resignation, but I stood still, engaging in a fighting stance that one of my friends had taught me. Shinigetsu Kenji_,_ I remembered his name was, or at least his nickname. He told me he specialized in minor forms of martial arts, and this certain one was to defends against a person with a weapon.

I placed my arms in the opening stance like a _Wing Chun _stance, except my forward hand was a fist and my back hand was open. This allowed me to knock away a stab, while a slash would allow me to catch the blade if necessary. Kanomi's mouth opened at my stance. I trained for this; Hakuda versus Zanjutsu. She closed her eyes and made a small smile. She threw her Asauchi at me, the hilt skidding to my feet. "I resign," she said.

I lowered my hands and bent down to pick up the Asauchi. "Why?" I asked her, handing her back her weapon. "You had the upper hand, with a sword. I had my fists."

"Your gloves provide a nice defense. Either way, I would say I would lose. Anyway," she said, her voice trailing off, "even with my abilities, I know I would never defeat Youmu."

"This tournament is a matter of using moves, though," I reminded her. "It has nothing to do with winning."

"It's a matter of pride!" she said. "What have we been training for, then, in this Academy. If one keeps losing, then they will be no match for any kind of Hollow, or other adversary!" She glared at me. "I gave up a chance of winning because I know I would end up losing. It is better to accept your defeat and live than to keep fighting and die!" Kanomi caught her breath, then put a hand to her forehead. I was prepared to catch her if she fell, but she stayed on her feet. "I did this because you have a chance of fighting. Todoshi-san and I stopped to watch your fight with Higari-san finish out, and you just about flawlessly defeated him. Your blade touched him first, and he accepted his defeat.

"But you keep fighting without your Zanpakutō! Is that crazy in everyone's eyes? You have the willpower of a daredevil, knowing that you could die if your hands aren't positioned right. You would keep fighting even if it means you would die." She closed her mouth as I stared into her eyes.

"There is something I want to tell you," I said. Of course, that phrase sounded extremely cheesy, but it was something else. No, girls are a thing of the past now. "I trained for this," I said. "Every day, during the year, I trained on Sōkyoku Hill. Every day, I trained my Kidō in the Training Grounds. And every day, I trained my Hohō techniques on the track. I honed my skills." I put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you. I enjoyed our fight – it was one of the most enjoyable I have ever had." I left for the Battle Decisions stand and filed in the resignation for Kanomi.

I left her there, standing to ponder what I had said.

* * *

><p>I sent my last opponent to Ounabara-sensei during the semifinals of the tournament. Tomorrow, the Academy decides who will be the the grand prize winners of the tournament, with many of the arenas filled while the others were used for sparring. I saw Shinigami already removing the flags off the areas that had finished their match, and had just started removing those off the arena I fought at. I walked off the arena and went to see Brandon's match, the only other match that was included in the Class One's.<p>

It was still going strong with tactic versus speed. Brandon was now facing against the person who was Youmu, the "true" ace of the class even though he was the student after me and Brandon. Youmu was in the air right now, charging up a Shakkaho at Brandon. Brandon was able to dodge it, but I lost his position due to the amount of smoke and debris blown into the air. I saw him shunpo out of the smoke cloud and dash toward Youmu, who was stuck in an aerial clash with their Asauchi. They lowered themselves down, while blocking and attacking each other.

They both separated themselves and formed a large distance, both firing a Byakurai at each other, making an explosion as the bolts of lightning met. They then shunpo'ed at each other to create sparks as their asauchi smashed into each other. Brandon ducked under a swing by Youmu, but Youmu jumped back from the counterattack Brandon attempted. They shunpo'ed away from each other again before coming at each other and slashed at each other while one blocked the incoming strikes. In due time, Brandon retreated into the air, with Youmu closely following. They engaged in aerial exchange again, but only standing on the thin sheet of reishi they both created for themselves.

Brandon smashed Youmu's Asauchi hard enough to create sparks, and immediately dove toward Youmu with his body twisted and his sword at his side, in position for a stab. I gazed at him, that he would perform the move against someone that had absolutely no idea about it, that the one caught in it would be in a world of hurt. I saw him do it against one of the rotting Senka dummies, and all that was left were layers of wood. Brandon twisted around and around before hitting Youmu, who was blanched in fear of the spinning cyclone of a rotating blade. Brandon explained to me that he incorporated Shunpo to rotate his body; and he had to close his eyes and rely on Reiatsu sight to hit his opponent; so it was fast enough to dice wood into two-inch thick layers in a few seconds.

Youmu jumped away from the crashing Brandon, then swung his sword into the dust clod that was created by Brandon's impact to the ground. He raised his asauchi to block a hit from Youmu, barely parrying the blow and pushing the blow away. Brandon kicked Youmu away, but Youmu caught his leg between his free hand's elbow and corresponding leg, and I saw the worst.

Despite the technique's immense potential power, it tired Brandon tremendously. Shunpo'ing the entire body into spinning like a top took a huge toll on Brandon, and it left him dangerously tired. Youmu swung his sword at Brandon in a great arc, and even closed eyes could not prevent the scream that pierced my ears and Sōkyoku Hill.

"_Auuuugh_!"

When I opened my eyes, Brandon was on his knees, his side was a bloody mess and his arm, sliced open by Youmu's now-bloodied asauchi, was trickling out crimson tears. Youmu assessed his damage, then faced me and looked straight into my eyes. _I am the true ace of Class One,_ they read. _All I have to do is settle with your defeat._

I clenched my fist in response. _Bring it on._ Youmu merely laughed as Brandon was carried away to the Fourth Division members, who were concentrated on staunching the wound, sealing it up, then replenishing his Reiatsu. I walked up to him and said, "What happened?" His face was contorted into a grimace as the medics applied antiseptic.

"...Messed up," Brandon said through his jarred teeth. "I missed... didn't expect him to dodge the Cyclone Meteor."

I chuckled to hide my sorrow. "That is a strange name to put it. No wonder you made a crater in Sōkyoku Hill."

He chuckled. "Yeah... it kind of makes sense anyway. Anyway... I got very slow, and I wasn't able to kick him to gain distance. I didn't have enough power to make distance and take a breather..." He jammed his eyes shut as his wound frothed with disinfectant foam, but his tension ceased when the whole wound was covered in bubbles. "I just heard I won't be able to use my right arm for a month-and-a-half."

I felt my eyes water. Brandon won't be able to use his arm to spar with me... I realized, only wanting to spar with the only friend I had. I wiped them away before declaring, "We will fight each other when your arm heals then, okay? I'll beat Youmu and we will train against each other during the break; I'll take away his arm too!"

"Don't do that," Brandon said, shaking his head. "Not the right thing to do. It was part of the tournament, and it couldn't be helped. All I want you to do is beat Youmu. I will hold you on the sparring match though. My muscle was cut, so I doubt our matches will be the same."

"Heal up," I said. "I'll be waiting." Brandon raised a fist and I bumped it with mine. I turned and glared at Youmu as Brandon was carried away for further treatment, and all Youmu did was smirk at me.

We have some unfinished business to do, Youmu Hirokazu.


	8. 7: Finish the Fight

**Bleach - Waves and Torrents**

**Part I: Learning Arc**

**Chapter 7: Finish the Fight**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. ****These characters (and ****Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>The tournament was our final. How many skills were used in the battle showed our final grade. Everyone had fought vigorously to this time. The finals… were between me and another first-class first-year, who bore the third place of highest scores, after me and Brandon. All I knew was that his name was Hirokazu Youmu.<p>

It was supposed to be between me and Brandon. It was unfair as I saw him mess up the move that he wanted to do, and so only been able to perform it against me. And now it wasn't me and him, our final showdown… but a stranger.

I knew what Brandon would have said. He would tell me to beat him, so he could spar with me and have that final match that we could have had. I saw him at the side, his arm in a cast, from his muscle being severed after that slash to the arm. I nodded at him, and he nodded back. When he was healed, we would spar. To the other side, a small number of the Gotei Thirteen captains stood in that area of sideline, and I caught Captain Kuchiki looking at me before turning to look at Youmu. He looked different from a year before; the front area of his hair was let loose, unrestrained by his _kenseikan_, along with a different Captain's haori with a golden trim. I faced my opponent as I finished walking to my designated starting point.

"Draw the swords!" Ounabara-sensei called from the sidelines. "Let the finals begin!" I rolled my eyes as I drew my asauchi. Youmu drew his asauchi as well.

"It makes me all the more pumped to defeat you," he said.

"Whatever," I said. "All I care is that you beat the one I wanted to spar." I raised my asauchi into my custom starting position, to which Youmu set his stance to the original stance that Ounabara-sensei taught the class.

"Hah, you will be the same as Brandon-san!" He charged forward with his sword raised high, and I was able to easily block it. He brought his knee up at me, which I was able to block with my foot. I pushed his sword away with both hands on my sword, when bringing the hilt of my asauchi against his face. He skidded back due to the force I put in the hit, and he rubbed his cheek.

"But I am not Brandon," I said calmly, dashing forward using Shunpo. I stopped right behind Youmu and attacked with an overhead smash, which he barely managed to dodge. I brought my hand up to block the sword blade with the plating on the back of my gloves. I pushed it down and brought my sword in a standard horizontal swing, and he ducked under that one. I jumped back to put distance between us as he tried to hit me.

_His swordsmanship is flawed_, I realized. It was feeling almost too easy. This kid has nothing on me. He came after me with his sword high, then shunpo'ed behind me. Because I saw it coming, I was able to block it with ease. I turned around and ducked under the sword he swung at me and knocked the sword out of his hand. It skittered across the rocky ground, away from reach. Youmu gaped at me as I lowered my asauchi to his neck. He then grinned as he pushed my blade away and grabbed its hilt. "Hado One, _Shō_!" he said, pushing my body away from my sword, literally wrenching my hand away. He jumped back and beckoned his other sword with Hado Two, Hiku. He now bore two swords against my none.

_Dammit_, I thought. _Should__ have seen that coming... I totally underestimated him._ I raised my hands in preparation for Hakuda combat, trying to remember the times of Hakuda combat against Zanjutsu combat. I sighed as he charged me, and I blocked the first blade with my right hand, but I suffered a shallow scratch on my left wrist. I grimaced at the wound as I staunched its bleeding with a Kidō spell. He dashed forward again, causing me to back up. I berated myself for being caught off guard and then relinquishing my only weapon, other than Kidō Kidō_…_

I uttered, "Hado Four - _Byakurai_!" I pointed my finger at his foot, and he bent down to deflect it at me. Byakurai _is lightning, electricity… and light. It can be bounced off a flat, angled surface._ Of course Youmu would block it with a Zanpakutō. The beam was reflected into the air, and he made a prepared stance toward my previous location.

I was now behind him, about to trip him. He saw me behind him, and he jumped up from my foot that just sliced above the ground where his feet were. I looked up to see him diving toward me, the Zanpakutō in a scissor-formation. I pushed him away with _Shō_ and he fell to the ground. Youmu jumped up and shunpo'ed toward me, and I again ducked under the first slash, and blocked the second with the back of my glove. "Your gloves are unfair," he said with a growl.

"A Shinigami will use everything to his advantage," I stated, raising my free hand and smacking him square in the face. The blow sent him reeling back, and he faced me with rage. "Apparently, you have two swords in your hands, so shouldn't I be the one complaining?" He charged straight at me, and I nearly lost trace of his steps. But since he left his reiatsu uncontrolled, I was able to discern his movement from behind, tripping him as he approached. He quickly got up and slashed at me, only nicking off a few strands of hair on the top of my head. I pummeled him in the stomach, but that only made him angrier. _Ounabara-sensei will call off the end. But when shall I have to dodge these slashes until then?_

I sighed as Youmu tried again and again to hit me, only being able to cut off a piece of my sleeve in the flurry of ten slashes against me. I was starting to enter my limit, but his rage kept him going. My movements became sluggish, and I was barely able to move fast. I barely got stabbed in the back when I failed to sense his reiatsu.

"Hado Thirty-One, _Shakkaho_!" Youmu bellowed, pointing his palm at me. I was barely able to react with Bakudo Thirty-nine, _Enkōsen_, but the force was able to push me back. And it was the worst place to be; the ledge of Sōkyoku Hill.

I peeked over the edge, knowing that with my reiatsu at the moment, I would not be able to collect reishi to produce a platform for me to stand on, or catch myself with. I also decided it was enough to produce a Hado spell of fifteen under. Just great… _Shakkaho_ was an option that would have helped me, but was a path I couldn't take. I glanced at Ounabara-sensei, whom was smiling at me, but not one of suspicion… but of encouragement? Youmu was going to stab me right there! As his sword was coming right at me, my vision flickered. The entire scene skewed itself again, as if I was undergoing Konsō again.

Instead of waking up in the middle of nowhere, I found myself standing in an endless blue world… on a small gray island. Spires of rock marked the edge of the island, save for behind me where the raging sea was crashing behind me. A few rocks stuck out from behind that area into the ocean, but no islands could be seen. Misty white clouds floated in the world's atmosphere. I looked forward, seeing a pedestal like structure out of cut rock, with a frozen tidal wave hovering above it. My first instinct was to jump into the waters, but I realized it was suspended, only a shell with the movement of a wave; immobile.

"Where am I…?" I whispered softly.

_A place where you are safe from all things,_ whispered a voice. I turned to the source of the sound, seeing a massive, water-bodied, serpentine wyvern, now hovering and seating itself on the pedestal, reminding me of the _Water Dragon_ card from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Franchise. _How can you not know where this place is?_

"Have I been here before? And who are you?"

_You know me as much as you know yourself. I was born from you, although I am much older than I__ appear._ The wyvern swished its tail leisurely, and I backed away from it by a step to avoid a few, rather large, drops of water.

_I know who this is?_ I thought, _but who could it be? I have never met any dragon or any other mythological creature in my life! And this... wait._

"There shall come a time when your Zanpakutō manifests itself…" Ounabara-sensei had said. "It resembles you; how you act is how your Zanpakutō manifests itself, it is a part of you!"

"_Does it have anything to do with _voices_?"_ No, the answer he gave me after that… _"Your Zanpakutō is staring to manifest itself."_ Now I know.

"Are you a Zanpakutō?" I asked, stepping forward. The wyvern reeled back, then lured close to me. "You are a Zanpakutō," I said.

_Do you have the power to use my power?"_ it asked, hissing at me. _"Do you know my name?_

I blinked. Name… I looked back behind me, looking at the ocean. _"The Inner World houses the Zanpa__kutō… resembles the Zanpakutō… is the Zanpakutō…!"_

I turned around, faced the wyvern, and raised my right hand. "I command you to obey me…! _Shionari_!" The wyvern gave a large roar as it imploded on itself, becoming strings of reiatsu. The strings came into my hand and…

I felt crossed blades hit something in my hands with a clang. My eyes were closed, but when I opened them, a blade had formed in my hand. I saw the strings of reiatsu finish coursing into the blade and then a voice brimmed, _"I am here at__ your side. I shall protect you from any harm… heal those you care about… and smite down your enemies! I am your Zanpakutō!"_

"Impossible!" Youmu cried. "You summoned a blade with no Kidō spell! Ounabara-sensei, due to trickery and deceit, I call this match invalid to continue! Socrius Kai is disqualified for having a hidden weapon!"

Ounabara-sensei smiled. "No, Hirokazu-kun, then you would be tried for the same infraction. It is your folly that you have not realized Socrius-kun has a weapon... and found it. He is a true Shinigami, using everything to his advantage." He faced me. "Use it. Use your weapon, your Zanpakutō!"

I looked at it. The hilt had cyan-colored wrapping, with a weird rectangular guard, except the corners were concave arcs. And unlike the asauchi I was accustomed to, the blade was pure white and straight, reminding me of a western style sword. A cobalt-colored sheath hung at my left side. I spun the sword on my hand before lowering it to my side. I then beckoned at Youmu, taunting him. "Come get some," I said, smiling.

"You will die!" he growled, then charged forward. As he came forward at me, I turned my blade by a ninety degree angle until it faced my left side horizontally.

"I will face Brandon in pure Zanjutsu," I vowed as he came near. "And you shall pay for that!" He was in my face, but he had stabbed nothing with his two blades. But I was behind him as I said…

"_Rage_… Shionari_!"_

My blade immediately dispersed into water, splashing onto the ground and rising around me until I was encased by a swirling vortex. Youmu turned around to stab me, but the water spirals blocked the sword, penetrating only half-an-inch. He slashed with his other sword, but it was caught by the other spiral. "What the…" he asked.

I shunpo'ed away from my previous area, appearing halfway across the fighting field. I swung my empty hilt at his general direction, to which the water collapsed on itself and surged toward Youmu. He cried out before he was silenced by the waves, flailing to try to take in air. I had the waters recede, and he fell on his knees while I only stood straighter. "Anyone hit by Shionari will have some of their reiatsu drained, then transferred to me. Therefore..." I raised my palm. "Ye lord! Mask of flesh and blood, flutter by wings, who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams, unleash, but slightly, the wrath of your claws!

"Hado Thirty-three! _Sokatsui_!"

A wave of pale blue energy erupted from my palm as I tried to contain the power coursing through my hand. The wave enveloped Youmu, and over the sound, I heard him say, "Level _thirty-three_ Hado?!" Ounabara-sensei had never taught the class the spell.

I saw Youmu's form lay near-motionless in a crater made by Sokatsui. I recalled the waters to my side as I strode over to him. I lifted my hilt and spun it a full three-sixty arc and the waters formed into my sealed Zanpakutō blade. I took back my asauchi that he had taken, then backed up a few steps. "Do you surrender now?" I asked.

"I'm... not finished... yet!" Youmu said. He slowly got up and tried to aim a thrust at me with his asauchi. I merely blocked by holding my Shionari out in front of me, causing his blade to shatter as the point touched Shionari's flat. He gasped at the remains of his asauchi, a broken blade connected to a hilt. He abandoned the hilt and prepared to hit me. I blocked again with the flat of my blade, but then I heard a voice.

"Bakudo Sixty-One, Rikujōkōrō." I recognized it as Kuchiki-dono's voice.

Six beams of yellow light impaled Youmu at his waist, making him appear like a flower. "To fight for a lost victory is meaningless," I told him. "What is the meaning of fighting a stronger opponent with the same skill that you possessed when you fought as equals and still lost? If you want a rematch, find me again. In _six_ years."

"Socrius Kai has triumphed over Hirokazu Youmu!" Ounabara-sensei announced. "His Zanpakutō formed when the time came where he was faced with death. Welcome, Socrius Kai, to the realm of the Shinigami."

I faced Ounabara-sensei. "What...?" I asked. "What happened exactly?"

"Socrius-kun," Ounabara-sensei said. "You were the most gifted student in my class. You worked hard, from the end of class till sunset, and I always heard you reciting and practicing kotodama whenever we didn't have lectures. You and Brandon-kun became the aces of my class, with Hirokazu-kun struggling to overcome your daily conditioning. Not only have you succeeded in using your Zanpakutō's power, but you have demonstrated most of its power just by wielding it."

"What does this mean?" I asked.

"As head of the Noble Kuchiki Family," I heard Kuchiki-dono say, "and as a Captain of the Sixth Division of the Gotei Thirteen, I, Captain Kuchiki Byakuya, hereby graduate Socrius Kai from the Academy of Spiritual Arts."

I turned to another voice, my eyes resting on a white-haired man whom said, "As the Captain of the Ninth Division, I, Captain Kensei Muguruma, nominate Socrius Kai an early graduate of the Academy of Soul Arts."

"As Lieutenant of the Ninth Division, I, Shuhei Hisagi, nominate Socrius Kai as an early graduate of the Academy of Soul Arts."

"As Captain of the Tenth Division," I heard a short boy with white hair say, "I, Captain Hitsugaya Tōshirō, graduate Socrius Kai from the Academy of Soul Arts... also congratulating him in graduating in the same amount of time it took me." I saw a smirk on his face for a quick second.

Ounabara-sensei nodded, to which he said, "By the law of the Gotei Thirteen, with the approval of three or more captains and or Lieutenants, Socrius Kai is hereby a graduate of the Shino Academy of Soul Arts, and a member of the Gotei Thirteen!"

Sōkyoku Hill burst into applause with the exception of me and Youmu, my heart suddenly lifting with joy from the many eyes that fell upon me and applauding for me. When the clapping stopped, I then realized something. "Wait, Ounabara-sensei," I said, "does that mean I won't be attending Shino Academy anymore?"

"You won't. By passing all the material, you are no longer obligated to come attend classes at Shino. However, you can only attend the extra-curricular subjects until your graduating year..."

"What about Brandon? I'm the only friend he has! If he stays, he'll be..." Brandon pushed himself through the crowd until he was in front of me. "... all by himself..."

"I'll be fine," he said, putting his good hand on my shoulder. "I learned by watching your fight with Hirokazu-san. I need to believe I can do things, because even friends will not always be around to guide someone through tough times. To care for others, I have to care for myself first, and then I will know the needs of others."

Youmu, enraged and released from _Rikujōkōrō_, walked up to Brandon. "You knew what I wanted...?" he asked, running at him. "You _let_ me win so I could be humiliated now?!" He dashed forward, but Brandon shunpo'ed past him and hit the square of his back with his elbow before bringing a leg up into the fork of his legs.

"You brought that on yourself," Brandon said. "If this is over, I would like to take a nap; my arm is killing me."

* * *

><p>"Socrius Kai," I heard a voice behind me. I turned to see Kuchiki-taichō; we were the only ones on Sōkyoku Hill.<p>

"Kuchiki-dono," I said, dropping onto a knee. "I would have never made it here if it weren't for you. You sent me to Soul Society when I was a Plus in the World of the Living. You saved me in East Rukongai, District Sixty-Eight. And all this time, all I wanted was to thank you. I would never have been a Shinigami if it weren't for your actions, to which I am truly grateful."

"I will accept your gratitude, but that isn't the reason I called you." I looked up at him. "Now that you are part of the Gotei Thirteen, you must have a Division to join, otherwise you may not be able to partake in missions, patrols, and other Shinigami duties. And I believe you have not joined a division" I haven't. "I come to ask you, would you wish to join the Sixth Division?"

I blinked. "Join... your division?" Kuchiki-sama nodded. "I would be honored to, Kuchiki-dono!" I bowed my head.

"It is not _dono_ anymore. From now on, it is Kuchiki-taichō. We shall be congratulating your enrollment when we return to the barracks; I have contacted my lieutenant to prepare the celebration." He turned, facing the setting sun. "And..." he said. "Your Zanpakutō. It mimics mine. I found that interesting, that Senbonzakura has found one like him."

"Him?" I asked.

"A Zanpakutō has a gender and conscience, like everyone in the world. You will know only when you communicate with your Zanpakutō Shino Academy doesn't teach that, so come look for me in my office tomorrow morning. But now, let us return to the barracks."

"A race?" I asked. I prepared my Shunpo.

"You will never be faster than I am. The Sixth Division Barracks, anyway, are the building at the south side of Seireitei, near the Shuwaimon. Its outer walls are tan, with a green entrance room. I shall see you there." And, as I turned, Kuchiki-taichō was already gone.

"Hey, wait for me!" I cried, shunpo'ing after him.

***End of Part One, Learning Arc.***

***Continued in Part Two, Shinigami Arc.***


	9. 8: First Day: As a Shinigami

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part II: Shinigami Arc**

**Chapter 8: First Day... As a Shinigami**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the**** story. These characters (and ****Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>I shunpo'ed south and located the green roof and tan walls with Byakuya standing in the entrance way. He turned his head to face me and offered me in by ushering his hand. I walked in through the large gates, looking and admiring at the complexity of the area. Perhaps the funds came from Byakuya's nobility.<p>

We stepped through the gates and approached the barracks door. Byakuya rapped on the door with his knuckle before he stepped inside. He then opened the door, revealing a dark room. In the darkness, I could see the silhouettes of crouching people, reminiscent of surprise birthdays in the World of the Living. I sighed.

"Just turn on the lanterns," Byakuya commanded me. It didn't have any deception behind it; the same smooth voice he carried around was still present in his tone.

"Whatever, guys," I said to whoever was hiding in the room. "You guys failed to surprise me." With my right hand, I flipped a switch on, which those silhouettes still futilely tried to surprise me. They jumped up with hands outstretched and grinning faces and shouted something like a mixture of "Welcome to the Sixth Division" and "Surprise". I, for one, wasn't surprised at their attempt to surprise me, but rather the large number of Shinigami.

"It was an utter failure," Byakuya commented when everyone fell silent. Their grins disappeared but the cheerful atmosphere seemed to linger. "Abarai-fukutaichō, appropriately greet our newcomer, Socrius Kai, for I have a Captains' Meeting to attend. Be sure to report ten minutes from now. Yamamoto-sotaichō has ordered the Captains to report for the first orientation." As I watched Byakuya leave, a tall, young man with long red hair came up to me. Numerous tattoos decorated his head, and his long hair reminded me of some person I was acquainted with at school; only with glasses removed and a less witty attitude... and somewhat shorter hair.

"Welcome to the Sixth Division," the lieutenant said. "As you heard, I'm the lieutenant of the Sixth Division, Abarai Renji. Pleased to meet you, Socrius-san." He outstretched his hand.

"Same, Abarai-fukutaichō." I shook the hand firmly.

"I heard you graduated on your first year, like Hitsugaya-taichō. Very commemorative."

"Thank you," I said, bowing slightly.

"Everyone!" Renji said. "Socrius Kai here will be a part of our division now! He is to be treated as you would everyone else." Renji turned to a shorter Shinigami with black hair, and a distinctive tattoo on his forehead. "Rikichi! Get Socrius-san a shihakusho!" The Shinigami scurried away to fetch the article of clothing. "Aside that, we shall have our celebration for Socrius-san's recruitment!"

"Yeah!" The room cried out, then fell silent at the sound of munching food.

Renji sighed as he approached the source of sound. He lifted a small, pink-haired girl who was busy eating the cookies in both of her hands. "Kusajishi Yachiru-fukutaichō, why are you in the Sixth Division barracks?"

"Eating," she said with her mouth full.

"This party was not thrown for you," he said. "It was for the new arrival, Socrius Kai."

"Wasn't he the one Ken-chan wanted to fight?" Yachiru asked after she swallowed. "Ken-chan hasn't found anyone good enough to fight - he already beat the Reigais five times now, four on one."

"Socrius-san has other... _things_ to take care of. Besides, Socrius-san has had a tiresome enough fight of one for his caliber, for now." Renji looked around. "The captains are at the Captains' Meeting... so I can't have Zaraki fetch his lieutenant... Socrius-san! You decide; do you want Kusajishi-fukutaichō with us in eating our food?"

"I don't care actually," I replied. "It's just another mouth to eat the food to me; I doubt we can finish it all anyway." I looked down the tables, nearly three twenty-feet tables of food. "Besides, it's not like as if we are celebrating for a new Captain or something."

Renji sighed. "Fine... but promise me, Kusajishi-fukutaichō, you will leave when you are done! Otherwise, I will personally drag your childish behind to the Lieutenant's meeting myself!"

"Got it!" The girl went around with a plate and took most of the tea cakes, chocolate chip cookies, and other dessert or sweet delectables. She didn't seem at all harmful, just a little girl going about her business. Plus, she seemed like a ten-year-old going around just eating anyway.

"Let's eat!"

* * *

><p>I had just changed into my shihakusho when Renji approached me. "Why don't you get anything to eat?" he asked me, holding out a plate of fried rice in front of me. The smell and look reminded me of my family's cooking, and my eyes started to water. "You should be hungry."<p>

"No, I'm fine," I said, controlling my voice that it didn't seem to break. "When I was alive, I barely ate my birthday cakes, or the food at parties altogether. I didn't get hungry easily." I took a breath, but accepted the plate.

"So that's how it is, huh?" Renji asked me. "So what did you do? Did you feel anything during birthdays?"

"Just have friends come over. Besides, it's just an age; something to be measured by. It doesn't actually show how much experience you actually have, much less talent. Take Hitsugaya-taichō for one; he looks like someone in grade school, but he has the maturity of an adult. He doesn't have little experience, but a lot. And I'll bet he has a lot of talent too."

"He does. He has the power over all ice and water, thanks to his Zanpakutō, Hyōrinmaru." He looked up at the ceiling. "But sometimes, it bothers me. Some of the Shinigami Captains went out of their way for treason, only to be replaced by the ones they overthrew. Regretfully enough, two strong Captains died and the third is spending the next twenty-thousand years in Muken."

"I don't get why they would even try to do such a thing," I said. "If that Muken Captain could have been Head Captain, then why did he try to usurp the Soul Society?"

Renji shrugged. "Not too sure, probably because he wanted to replace the Spirit King." He stood up. "Anyways, get something to eat. You won't survive on an empty stomach; fighting expels a lot of Reiryoku, and quickly at that." He got up. "Anyway, the lieutenants should be headed over to the meeting now. I'll see ya later... Rikichi will lead you to your quarters.

I stood up and passed him. "Fine," I said, picking up a plate and walking to the tables and picking up food. I really wasn't hungry, so I kept to only a few brownies, a cookie, and a scoopful of ramen noodles. They didn't taste the same as when I had them when I was still alive. Even so, I ate the food because of Renji's persistence.

The party was soon over to my relief. I didn't meet anyone other than Renji, which was disappointing. I sighed as Rikichi led me to the quarters, which there was a room with a nameplate near the door. It read my name.

"You'll be in this room to sleep or do paperwork if necessary. Most members use their room as a form of seclusion, as no one will bother anyone through intrusion here. It is against the rules here, in the Sixth Division, for unruly and unnecessary business to be here. It kinda also explains why we have the least solicitor visit count, since Kuchiki-taichō has a very unique way of... driving them away."

"Thank you," I said, disappearing into my room. "I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked before closing the door.

"Perhaps. There usually isn't much to do for most, since the Hollow attacks haven't been active as much. See you." With that, I closed the door and flipped on a light. I was standing in a room similar to the Shino Academy dormitory rooms.

That's right, Brandon is in his break. Maybe I can catch him on Sōkyoku Hill later tomorrow. I walked to the washroom to prepare for bed, changed into my night clothes, and tucked myself into bed.

I stared at the familiar ceiling, the same one in Shino Academy. The atmosphere was so similar to the Academy's that I fell asleep just like any other day. I also needed to meet Kuchiki-taichō for the Zanpakutō communication technique...

I slowly got out of bed and rubbed my eyes. I glanced around the room. When I noticed my shihakusho, it made me realize; I graduated from Shino Academy. I was a Sixth Division member, the Sixth seat. How did I just acquire that rank by recruitment? I picked up Shionari and strapped it to my sash, my left side feeling heavier than when I had my Asauchi.

I walked to Byakuya's office, knowing it was at the top floor of the barracks. I climbed up the stairs, passing by the senior members' doors, their snores reaching my ears. Byakuya's office was closed, and I still had a feeling he was sleeping. I was about to knock until I heard a firm voice, "Come in."

I opened the door and looked at Byakuya, who had a brush in his hand and was writing Kanji in wide arcs and strokes. I noted that he wasn't wearing his Captain's haori, nor was he wearing his _kenseikan_. Right now, I saw he was writing the Kanji of "resilience," and it seemed like how it would be written on scrolls or signs. "I am here, Kuchiki-taichō. Are you busy?"

"No," he replied. "Usually, when I wake up, I would practice calligraphy, for I am the representative for the Calligraphy club. Former Captain Aizen is locked away, and I have assumed his place." He put down the brush in the pallet of ink, in its own chamber. He picked up his Zanpakutō, which was set on the table next to other scrolls. "We shall go to the garden in the back to practice Jinzen. Follow me." He pushed open a wall to reveal a line of Captain's haoris, took one of them, and slipped it on. He also produced a _kenseikan_ and clipped it to the hair behind his head.

I trailed behind them, passing through the snores of the senior members again. We strode down the stairs and through a back sliding door in the outside. The crisp morning air was fresh, and the Soul Society had just started to wake up. It was quiet compared to when Brandon and I shunpo'ed across Seireitei to Sōkyoku Hill; the city was bursting with sounds and conversation. "The only ones who would be awake would be the editor-in-chief of Seireitei Communication, the Captain-Commander, and any shopkeepers," Byakuya explained.

Byakuya pointed out a few flat rocks near a small gathering of trees and seated himself on top of one of them. I climbed on to the one beside him. "Unsheathe your Zanpakutō," he said, pulling out his Senbonzakura. I did the same with Shionari, and looked at him for more directions. "You may choose to lay it on your lap or stab it into the surface you are sitting on, but it doesn't matter unless you are sitting near it. Once you are in a comfortable position, project your mind into your Zanpakutō by clearing your mind of everything other than your Zanpakutō You will not be able to hear anyone unless the instinct to move forces you to. But sincerely, I would suggest you won't disturb the one performing Jinzen."

I nodded my head. "Will you perform it with me?"

"Every Shinigami needs to speak with their Zanpakutō Even Yamamoto-sotaichō speaks to his Zanpakutō every evening, recounting everything that had happened, or just to strike up a conversation because of loneliness or depression. Perhaps they just have something to share; your Zanpakutō is your partner, and it is crucial to share information between the two of you. It was coming to the point I was going to speak to Senbonzakura and your coming to learn under me and him. Set your sword across your lap or stand it up." I laid it across my lap, since it was rock I would be jamming my sword into.

"Clear your thoughts and open your mind…"

* * *

><p>You came… <em>said the voice again.<em>

"_I did," I said indignantly. "Have I introduced myself?"_

You are Kai… _the voice said._ I have known your name ever since I chose you. You have recently found my name… and that gladdened me.

_My vision skewed in out of itself once more, and I was standing on the island once again. The water-bodied serpent, Shionari, had taken his place on the stone and was now looking at me with his cy__an colored eye._ There was much I wished to explain… and why you are here now.

"_What do you mean?"_

_Shionari shifted in his position, stretching out his jaw before speaking._ I protected you thus far.

_"Really? How?"_

It was simple; use my power over water to protect you, and wound those that tried to harm you. The waves you see indicate what you are feeling. _The sea waves were calm now, like an ocean drifting against a beach._ The more violent they are, the more danger I feel you are in.

I find a water source and channel my power through it, that makes it similar to a burning liquid that harms others, but invigorates you or whoever might want to help you. Also when you first released my_ Shikai _state, I can block any attack inflicted on you.

_I recalled those events; the Skink Hollow from Rukongai, then the Menos. The water, when they touched it, did seem to hurt them. And when I fought the Menos, I gained power... power that did more than triple my own reserve. "You did that?" I asked._

For your sake. Without you, there could never be me. I already have chosen you. _Shionari felt __quite__ pleased with himself._ Besides, what called you here? I want you to know that I have no special powers to bestow, although I wish I could. You yourself must learn to control the waters of my being. With Zanpakutō like me, improvisation is the key. I understand your Shinigami art, Jinzen, in which you meditate and enter your, actually my, inner world. Is there anything else you want to share?

_"Well, most likely because of you, I gra__duated from Shino Academy. It had only been just a year of instruction too."_

You were capable of carefully maintaining performance. I merely revealed myself to the world. _Shionari looked around, and I felt a rumbling under my feet._

* * *

><p>I came out from Jinzen to experience a shudder beneath me, like an earthquake. Byakuya merely opened his eyes and stared at the moving ground. "It has been happening for a while now; it appears as if the Seireitei Reiatsu Shield Generator is fluctuating again," he said.<p>

"The generator?" I asked.

"Yes. For some reason, we receive a spasm of Reiatsu which floods the Seireitei. The Shinigami Research and Development Institute say nothing is wrong with the generator and an outside force is manipulating the Reishi waves within the Seireitei. If that were the case, I wouldn't know who it would be. Anyway, do you understand Jinzen so far?"

"My Zanpakutō said that he already unlocked his powers to me," I said. "Does that leave me to figure out how to use them?"

"It does," Byakuya replied. "But sometimes, Zanpakutō keep the techniques to themselves until their wielder can prove his or her understanding and talent, if I can say. You must already have experience with your Zanpakutō for it to release all its power for you."

I stood amazed at this. Shionari entrusted me this much?

Suddenly, I felt a tug on the sleeve of my shihakusho. I looked down to see a pink mound, which turned out to be Yachiru's head. "Kusajishi-fukutaichō?" I asked.

"Soki," she said, "Ken-chan wants to play with you."

I'm known as Soki to her? "By play, you mean fight? I was hoping to meet my friend still at the Academy."

"Ken-chan wants to play with you," Yachiru said. "He says he'll get mad if you don't go." What really bothered me actually were those large puppy eyes and the frown she gave me.

I sighed. "We're done, right, Kuchiki-taichō?"

He just gave me a simple nod. "But, I have an errand for you." He handed me a slip of paper, folded up. I took it and looked up at him. _You won't last a__ second with that barbarian,_ his eyes read, _at least, not yet._ I nodded. "Everything is in that paper. Be sure to finish doing those things.

"Maybe another time," I told the Eleventh Division Lieutenant. I walked away from the Sixth Division barracks into Seireitei, looking for a Shinigami accessory shop. The list in my hand wrote things like a Kikanshinki, a Hollow detecting cell phone, "Soul Candy," and a Gigai. I had a basic idea on what every one of them did, except for the Soul Candy.

I found the market plaza, which featured the food mart, the Shinigami shop I was looking for, a pharmacy, and an eye-wear shop. I entered the Shinigami shop, which distinctly had the same soft and slow music as supermarkets in the World of the Living. I walked down the aisles and noted objects I was looking for. I picked up a phone, two-way flip for keypad and number-pad, along with a touch screen function. The phone cost about four-thousand-seven-hundred kan, nearly half of the money I had won from the Shino Academy. The Kikanshinki and Soul Candy dispensers were sold like the PEZ dispensers in the World of the Living, standing upright in boxes at the cash registers. Other things sold in the small shop were key-chains, postcards, and other miscellaneous things like actual candy or snacks. The Kikanshinki and Soul Candy cost twelve hundred kan in all.

"Where might I find a Gigai?" I asked the cash register. I laid out the pile of coins on the counter for him to collect.

"Most get them at the Research and Development Institute," he replied, stowing the goods in a small paper bag. "If you are in the World of the Living, perhaps you can try Urahara-san's store in Karakura. I never go to the World of the Living, so I really don't know. Come again." I thanked him as I took the bag with a "thank you."

I exited the store, looking around for the Eleventh Division lieutenant. I had to avoid her and Kenpachi in order to actually get things done. Byakuya said in the paper that he had stationed me in the town I was in for Soul Burial, and my hometown. Nostalgia gripped me as I thought about it. I walked to Shino Academy to retrieve my Jigokuchō from those lockers. I shunpo'ed over the gates, avoiding the windows by jumping on the roofs; they were sure to have classes by now, or even just half-classes. I walked into the Jigokuchō Locker Tower, walking inside and taking a bit of feed and crushing it. I walked to my Jigokuchō and presented the food, which it seemed to squeak or make some sound. It then released the tube at the end of its mouth to feed on the small crumpet. I opened the cage and let out my hand, which it promptly flew onto.

I walked out of the tower and had shunpo'ed to the Senkaimon, due southwest, behind the Tenth Division barracks. I jumped over the buildings, shunpo'ing faster when I heard my name being called out by a girl's name. I saw a small flash of pink from a corner, then ducked to the normal streets when I saw her head turning. That pink-haired girl really wants me to fight that captain. Does she even understand the fact that I might even die?

I walked up to the Senkaimon, releasing my Jigokuchō to be airborne only then. The gate seemed to stand well over twenty feet tall. I walked up to the Senkaimon, releasing my Jigokuchō to be airborne only then. The gate seemed to stand well over twenty feet tall, no handles for pulling, and was it made of wood? I walked up to the gates and pressed a hand to it, and it opened on its own accord, sliding open sideways to reveal a wall of light. The butterfly hovering over my shoulder flew into the light.

I followed close behind, revealing a dark tunnel, not like the brightly lit bridge several months before for Konsō practice. "Karakura," I told my Jigokuchō Before leaving for my post, I need a Gigai, and Urahara Shoten was in that town. The butterfly hummed once before darting forward. I had to run to keep up with it.

"Slow down," I told the butterfly. It didn't slow down, but stopped in the middle of the hall. A door rose from the ground, similar to the one that I had walked through to enter the World of the Living. The door opened, and the sight of a dark city appeared. The moon was overhead, crescent-shaped. The butterfly flew down, and I guided myself down on a thin layer of Reishi to set my foot on a telephone pole. I spotted a shop not too far away, situated on a dirt lot in between buildings.

It was more of a dingy house than a shop or store. Lines of oriental candy lined the shelves, and an open sign flickered in the window. I nudged the door, and it creaked open by an inch. "Jinta! There's a late night customer!" some voice called from the back of the shop.

"Why don't you get it, you lazy fart?!" Whoever Jinta was, he certainly did not have any sign of respect. I walked down the aisles of the candy store, looking at most of the treats I would snack on when I was alive. Alive... it almost made me accept the fact I was dead, yet still existed.

"What can I get 'cha?" I turned to see a man with blonde hair and a bucket hat, under which he bore a relaxed face. His whole attire was dark green and tan. He seemed like a kind of person who would do things menially.

"The Soul Society said you are a vendor for Gigai?" I asked.

His face turned serious now. "Gigai. Hmm... it has been a while since a Shinigami came by. You have the _Denrei__shinki_ and _Kikanshinki_, right?"

"Yep."

"Okay. Then I guess we'll give ya a portable one. Blows up like a balloon, and can fold up like paper. Just something else, the Gigai'll pop to extreme duress, like over an internal temperature of over a hundred-eight and the like. Or maybe even excessive damage."

"That's fine." It's like a human being body. Temperature of one-oh-eight could kill someone, if I remember correctly... And it's commonsense that a human can get squished to death unless he has the strength to resist being crushed...

"Okay, now I'll need a Reishi sample..." The man took out a tablet and rubbed my finger on the small sheet wrapping the tablet. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed. "So you have the Soul Candy to go along with it or something?"

"Yeah. Anyway, when will it be done?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. Drop by, and I'll give it to you then if you pay. Anyway, portable Gigai are two-thousand Kan. I set the money on the counter next to us. He pulled out a clipboard. "Name, date, Division number. For verification purposes." I did as told.

"Splendid!" Urahara said. "Remember, by afternoon it'll be done." Soon, the door opened again, showing a teenager. He looked at Urahara. "Is it the midnight snack thing again?" The boy nodded. Urahara went over to the counter and picked out choice candies, and then exchanged them for money from the boy. During this whole event, the boy took no notice of me.

"You can see humans too?" I asked. "And you can see me?"

"Of course," he said. "I was a Shinigami before. I'm Urahara, former Twelfth Division Captain and Former Head of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. Suppose you've heard about my inventions."

"Everything from this phone and the Soul Candy?" I asked.

"Actually, it was actually _Gikongan_, but the Shinigami Women Association renamed it to 'Soul Candy' to make it… cuter." Urahara shook his head. "Doesn't make it any cuter…

"Anyway!" he said gleefully, "your order is set." His enthusiasm seemed to die down. "So… I heard you're the new genius."

"Huh?"

"Like Hitsugaya-taichō, you graduated Shino in a year. People who finished all the Academy under six years are considered geniuses. You're the fourth person go graduate early, after Shiba Kaien, Ichimaru Gin, and Hitsugaya Tōshirō. Even so, you do seem older than the latter two when they graduated..."

"Kuchiki-taichō told me to enroll. I never had any intention to enroll into Shino in the first place anyway." _Ichimaru… _My mind drifted to Izuru-fukutaichō whom first mentioned the name, but I quickly dispelled the thought.

"Well, aside from that, your reiatsu does feel similar to Hitsugaya's. There couldn't be a possibility you two are related anyway; he has white hair, you have a dark black. Unless I can confirm a DNA match, I can't guarantee your relation…"

"I didn't ask for you to do that anyway," I said. "Besides, any tips for me?"

Urahara thought for a moment. "All I have to say is that every Hollow as a special ability of their own; every Hollow is different. Like your duel with Nocturne, that Hollow can phase and disappear into shadow. Usually, these abilities are tied to what they look like or a past life attribute." The door rung open, and a wave of reiatsu sped past me. My heart sank at the feeling as I turned. Urahara turned to the Shinigami, whom had the same features as me, only more rigid and seemingly have had more experience than me. I could see hints of my older brother's face in there.

He beamed at me first, something I didn't understand. He then adverted his attention to Urahara. "We need additional Reigai on at Hiroshima," he said. "Most of the Hollows are attempting to tap into one of the hidden gateways into Soul Society, instead of Garganta gateways from Hueco Mundo."

"I'll send the order to the outpost there. Would you like to me leave it at the gateway or in the Dangai?"

"Dangai; no Hollows have access through the Senkaimon. Then even one without a butterfly could figure out it is the Hiroshima area."

"Of course..." hummed Urahara. "The order is set to go. It'll be there within two days."

"Thank you," the Shinigami said.

"Much obliged." Urahara nodded at the Shinigami as the figure walked out of the store and disappeared using Shunpo. "You know," Urahara said to me, "he looks like you."

"Nah," I said. "I didn't have any brothers in the Soul Society. And a substitute Shinigami is out of the question. Thanks, I'll be expecting the Gigai." I walked out from the shop without another word. I'm guessing work starts tomorrow.

I opened a Senkaimon by unsheathing Shionari and pushing it in the air in front of me. I turned it clockwise, ninety degrees, and waited. The sword rippled as I drove it in the air, and a door appeared as I turned the blade. A butterfly fluttered from behind the bright light.

"Sixth Division Barracks," I said, "just take me directly there." The butterfly took me through the Dangai once more, and I stepped through the Senkaimon to the doors of the Sixth Division. Tired, I retired to my quarters. It was already night, and so I was able quickly fall asleep.


	10. 9: Beginner's Luck Is a Hater

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part II: Shinigami Arc**

**Chapter 9: Beginner's Luck... Is a Hater**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into ****the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable****) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>"Hey! Wake up!"<p>

Someone was pounding on my door, but I couldn't recognize who. Brandon was attending classes at this time, and no one was this rough at the barracks. I only listened to the person pound on the door as I tried to get back to sleep.

"You goin' back to sleep, rookie?" the guy yelled. "Not on my watch!" He slammed against the door, but it held firm. I sighed as I got up and walked to a nearby window. With it being on my left and in front of the door, it would be perfect to show him what happens to people who try wake me up like this.

I opened the window.

Then, I walked to the door just as he tried to charge the door again. I changed into the Shinigami shihakusho before I braced myself against the door. I looked out the peephole. It was a large, fat Shinigami with a spiky protrusion of hair. He didn't seem like anyone in the Sixth Division. I then realized he was a lieutenant when I spotted the armband on his left arm.

"Here I come, rookie!" I saw him charge at the door again, but I swiftly opened the door.

What was funny was his face when I opened the door; a distraught face that was ready to scream. I mouthed the word "sayonara" as he stared at me before he sailed out the window and the ground was awarded with a crater.

And that only happens in anime, I thought to myself as tied Shionari to my sash. I casually looked out the door to see a girl, shorter than me, in a Captain's haori. She was scowling at the window with her arms crossed.

"Uhm," I said, "good morning, Captain..." I didn't know her name, but I had to respect her title even if she did look shorter than me.

"That's what you get for not knocking, Omaeda Marechiyo!" the girl hollered. "You get sent out of open windows to shut the hole in your face; the one you use for being loud and stuffing food into!" She cursed under her breath and glared at me. I was wondering what I had done before she sighed and managed a tender smile with a happy face. "Socrius Kai, hello. My name is Captain Soi Fon of the Second Division. Good morning to you too.

"Well, first of all, your package has arrived, but that isn't the case." She tapped at the tied box next to her foot which had my name printed on a mailing label. "We are here, as part of the Stealth Force, to organize Shinigami watchers to the World of the Living. We wish to have you watch over the town of Fremont, in California, in the United States of America, as the town's watcher. We suspected Hollow activity there because of the Menos incident a few months back. You are familiar, aren't you?"

Fremont; the city I grew up in. The city I went to practice Konsō. The city infested by Hollows. The city where my brother could get killed at any moment.

"You're sending me there?"

"To watch the premises, particularly the cemetery. Some souls are laid to rest there, but don't wish to leave their bodies. You are to go 're-bury' them and send them here. An easy task, I must say. Now with your Gigai, you can even camp out there to restore energy."

I nodded. "When do I leave?"

"Whenever you wish. Remember, mortals cannot see you unless you are in your Gigai, but be aware of the people whom see you in it. It embodies you, it mirrors you. Your friends and, most importantly, your brother, will become disbelieved if you were seen walking around in the market. That's why we recommend all Shinigami to carry a Kikanshinki with them at all times; so they can generate a random memory in a target's mind that you exist somehow."

"He might believe I didn't die?" I asked.

"Or maybe believe that it was a figment of his imagination that you died. But... we found proof of your death, so his going to the gravesite would be decimating to your shelter. Making him believe you are a different person would be best."

I nodded. "Thanks, Fon-taichō," I said.

"I'd rather be called by my full name after my title. It sounds much better." She walked out of my room, leaving me watch the Kanji of two on the back of her haori. She turned for a second. "Oh, and just a heads-up, the Ninth Division is responsible for security matters, within and outside Seireitei. I am just here on behalf of the Ninth Division Lieutenant." I remembered his name: Hisagi Shuhei. Then Soi Fon disappeared.

"I'm the watcher over my own hometown..." I sighed, walking over to the cage that housed my Jigokuchō. I gave it a few crumbles of butterfly feed which was quickly consumed. "Fremont, California. We're watching over the area."

_Kuchiki-taichō did say to open the Senkaimon outside, _the butterfly whispered to me.

"Right," I said. I started out the door, but I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Renji behind me.

"Abarai-fukutaichō?" I asked. "What is it?"

"You just got your _Denreishinki_, right?"

"Last night, what about it?"

"Install this into it," he said, giving me something that looked like an SD card. "This keeps track of how many Hollows you slayed and how many Konsō you performed. We have a scoreboard for all seated officers, except for the Captains and Lieutenants. Those people have accumulated more than several hundred thousands of kills and burials put together. Anyways, do your best!"

I thanked Renji before walking toward the stairs, where other Shinigami were busy conversing. I was going to say that being a Shinigami wasn't hard... or they just made it seem easy. However, none of them approached me... or so I thought.

Someone bumped into me, just as I was about to exit the barracks. I made a slight scowl, about to apologize before I heard a gruff voice, reminding me of a particular pseudo-jock at one of the schools I attended. "Watch where you're going, fat-ass."

My mind turned defensive as I heard those words. I turned to face the person. He was slightly taller, yet way fatter, than me. He may as well be older due of the outbreak of acne on his face. His face bore a disgusted expression at me, his glaring eyes hidden behind square, tinted glasses. A faded goatee dashed his chin area, and I could tell his hair had never met a comb in decades.

"What are you looking at?" he asked roughly.

"You, apparently," I said, trying to suppress my anger. Being around this guy was just making me angry – at least be a bit friendly when you want to meet someone. "Am I in your way?"

"Shit special treatment," he cursed at me, which flared my anger. "Thinking that you're always better because you're able to hang out with the captain and being that _early graduate_. All good shit, that's what I think."

I clenched my teeth behind my closed mouth. He was obviously goading me to hit him, and that's where he was succeeding. I felt my right arm twitch to grab Shionari and give him a lesson, but the Sixth Division rules stated: _There shall be no Zanpakutō release unless given directive by Kuchiki-taichō. _I instinctively grabbed my arm to prevent it from drifting to Shionari's hilt. Damn, this is like trying not to steal in Sixty-Eight! "I'm sorry I'm in your way. If you excuse me, I have a job to do." I turned and headed out of the barracks, his incessant yelling trailing after me.

"That's bad," said a Sixth Division member as I walked out of the barracks. "You got targeted by _Tsubasa Daichi_."

"What's with that guy anyway?" I asked a bit too harshly. Realizing it, I lowered my voice. "Sorry. Anyway, what's with him, and this 'special treatment' business?"

"He thinks it is more like a preference of Shinigami than overall skill, that you graduated early," the member said. "Seireitei Bulletin has all of its sights on you, every major article. Tsubasa is kinda raged that you have all the attention and the like. Not that he wants all the attention though, but he believes he is more than qualified than you in being the Sixth Seat."

"He's Seventh?" I asked.

"Yeah, 'was'... sad thing is that he used to be the Sixth until you came along and 'stole' it from him." The member shrugged. "He kinda says whatever's on his mind too. People call him mental, some call him confused. I dunno; he's just your average lazy person. No one has ever seen him do anything, and he probably hasn't killed a Hollow since two years ago. Either he doesn't give a crap or they're afraid of him."

I sighed. "Maybe I'll watch my back out for him and try to avoid him as much as possible."

"Dunno 'bout that, he has been able to track a different target to the ends of Seireitei. Found that poor soul hiding in the Senzaikyū, no pun intended." He scratched the back of his head and laughed.

"Thanks for the talk, but I have to get to my post in the World of the Living. Maybe we'll talk later?"

"I guess," he said. "Take care." He retreated back toward the barracks, and I unsheathed Shionari.

I unlocked a Senkaimon to Fremont, where the city was bathed in the evening sun. I set myself at the top of a telephone pole as I scanned the scenery. I spotted a few houses with their lights on, catching the silhouettes of people having their dinner. A man was walking his dog along the street, his head hunched down from the cold. A few pigeons had landed on the electrical wires next to me. Winter was always a depressing sight.

I sighed. It seemed like a few minutes ago that I felt happy, but now I felt sad returning to Fremont. I brought out my Denreishinki and started the installation with the memory unit Renji outfitted me with.

I put the phone away, then unsheathed Shionari. I tapped lightly on its blade and was awarded with a vibrating ring. I sat down on the telephone pole and set Shionari on my lap after finding a balance. I closed my eyes and sent my conscience toward the sword...

* * *

><p><em>"Do you have a minute?" I asked.<em>

I have all the time in this world, _Shionari said from behind me. _Is there something you wished to ask?

_"Why did you choose me?"__ I asked. I saw the dragon flinch and an eye twitch. "I know it sounds like I'm rejecting you, but that wasn't what I meant. How do Zanpakutō choose their wielder?"_

_Shionari lifted his head. _The waves here are calming,_ he said. _Zanpakutō generally picture one's conscience in how they form their inner world. We lay dormant from the beginning, in any case when a soul learns of his or her spiritual attunement, and we awaken only when the soul learns of our existence and utter our name.

But an exception can come from some Zanpakutō. Like me, I am responsible for using my power outside your knowledge, or without your approval. But...your episode with the skink-Hollow threatened to cease your existence, until the _sakura_ Shinigami saved you.

_"And that I am grat__eful for. In fact, Kuchiki-taichō has taken me into his division."_

Listening to your stray thoughts, I hear the Sixth Division is one that abides by the rules.

_"It is. But the fact that I am unrebellious is a good thing."_

I just suppose so. _Shionari rai__sed his head._ Do you know the reason why I chose you? _I shook my head. I had strayed from my own question._ Do you see the waves here? They seem peaceful to me; they resemble how you are feeling. When in danger, this whole world becomes dark, and the waves grow. When you are sad, a light drizzle starts and the sea becomes slightly active. When you are happy, the sea is calm, and it feels warm here._ I looked at the sea, which seemed like a summer vacation to the beach. It did seem peaceful. I sat on the edge __of the island, noticing the waves weren't lapping against the island._

_"What of other souls? Don't you picture their inner worlds the same as mine?"_

Your world makes me feel warm. Content. Calm. Secure. At peace. It is a nice feeling, like I have found home.

_"I'm glad you feel that way. I've always thought there was something wrong with my mind ever since I learned of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Lately, I've been having mood swings, and I __don't know whether I'm bipolar or not."_

What an irrational thing to say,_ Shionari commented._ What makes you think that you have a mental or personality disorder?

_"Maybe my sense of paranoia," I said. "I have this belief which states that I don't scare, I am paranoid." The waves suddenly grew, wetting my tabi. "Th__at means I feel something, huh..."_

You sense a Hollow, _Shionari said. _And it's coming your way!

* * *

><p>I lifted Shionari from my lap and prepared for a confrontation. The air assumed an evil aura, even my vision seemed to slightly darken. The only possible thought that came to my head was that Nocturne was back, but I knew that Hollows don't regenerate until after a few years. This Hollow was different.<p>

I stood up and looked at my Denreishinki. The icon that signified me, an arrowhead, was facing to the left, west, and a red dot was slowly making its way toward my direction... from behind!

I whipped my blade behind me to block a pair of talons, which were centimeters from my face. The Hollow, assuming the shape of a bird, had a mouth inside its beak, frantically trying to snap at my head. It vigorously flapped its wings to gain distance, and a breeze of wind made it surge forward.

I swung Shionari into its beak to cleave it right down the middle, but the blade was caught in the bird's beak. It dragged me off the pole, but my Reiryokucontrol allowed me to skid on the air as if it were the ground. I pushed against the bird Hollow and freed my sword, making a shallow gash in the bird's mask. It screeched before rising into the air and eying me intently.

I calmly raised a palm at the Hollow. "Hado Two, _Hiku_!" A turbulent wind surged toward me, pulling the Hollow along with it. Trees bent at the sudden wind movement. I raised my sword at the Hollow and watched the Hollow be driven into the blade. It shrieked once before it disintegrated into shiny gray dust and sparkles.

_One, _I thought. I looked around before lowering myself toward the ground. I noticed a few wayward souls wandering about. They seemed to stare at me as I passed, as well as eying my Zanpakutō. _"… … Shinigami … …"_

I didn't understand what was said in their whispers, but after catching the word "Shinigami," I knew they were talking about me. They were all picking at their respective Chains of Fate, until I walked to a fallen bottle with a rose next to it. A young girl, looking no older than eight, was hiding behind a telephone pole. Her Chain was short, only five links left. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Your chain," I said, "it gets very painful, doesn't it?"

She glanced at it and nodded slowly. I stepped forward and prepared to unsheathe Shionari, and she promptly cowered down, afraid. I grew puzzled as I looked around and saw older-looking souls stare at me. Well, drawing a sword does seem intimidating. I tried a different approach; I untied Shionari from my sash and lifted the hilt to the girl's forehead. There was a dim blue light at the end of the hilt. I tapped the girl's forehead as her eyes became glassy, then sunk in a radial, radiant, blue and white gradient.

The souls beamed at the ritual. One stepped forward and asked me, "Have you finally come to put us to rest?"

"I have," I replied, "if that is what you wanted."

They stared at each other, which resulted in a clamor around me, all of them screaming for a burial. I wonder if I had hit the jackpot for Konsō here.

I buried them as fast as I could, almost literally spinning to save time. But the souls kept pouring in, and I believed I spent too much time here. In the distance, I heard a shriek - that of a Hollow's. It was accompanied by the bloodcurdling cry of a man being decapitated. The souls all looked at me in confusion. I quickly buried a young kid before starting to Shunpo away, only to have the hem of my hakama be pulled back. "Don't go, Shinigami," they said, "bury me first!"

"Only about yourself..." I muttered, then launched off and the souls lost grip on me. I tied Shionari's sheath back onto my sash while Shunpo'ing toward a Menos Grande; Gillian-class. It turned to face me, releasing a blood-curdling roar that gave me a slight chill. A similar roar sounded from behind me.

"Two Gillians?" I asked. I wheeled around to see the Menos charge its Cero, aimed directly at me. I quickly shunpo'ed upward as the stream of energy streamed under me, and culminated in an explosion. Two Cero fired at me? I wondered. "Dammit...

"Rage," I said, drawing my Zanpakutō out, "_Shionari_!" My blade dissolved into streams of water, which surrounded my body with the twin vortices of water. I lifted Shionari's remaining hilt and declared, "Form One, Deluge."

The spiraling waves condensed into Shionari's form; a water-bodied serpent. It roared, but I could translate no words from it. I swung my empty hilt toward the first Menos and the water serpent followed suit and charged toward the Hollow. The Menos roared as the water dragon struck the Hollow through its chest area, and I felt a rise in my Reiatsu, although it seemed to drain as well. Is there a way to stop the draining effect? I wondered. I doubted that Hollow Reiryoku was compatible with Shinigami Reiryoku.

I turned my Zanpakutō hilt sideways, and applied my Reiryoku into my hilt. A sphere of energy formed at the water dragon's maw, steadily increasing in power. I released the energy, and the sphere zoomed toward the target Hollow. The Gillian roared once before succumbing to the waves and disappeared.

I turned toward the other Menos Grande, only to see red covering my entire field of vision. I had no time to react to the fully charged Cero, and I was blasted away, unable to move. I crashed into a building, which I found myself sitting among bits of glass and plaster, and the ruins of three office desks and computers. Fresh wounds covered my arms and left cheek. I tried to heal myself with a Kidō spell, but I was too tired to move. The Gillian Menos landed in front of the hole it made, charging up another Cero. A high-pitched noise filled the air.

"So this is how it ends..." I asked. "I was able to take on a Gillian with an Asauchi, but I can't take two with a Zanpakutō in its Shikai state... how bad. I'm guessing this is how it feels when LagTV says 'sour about life'!" I closed my eyes as the Cero squeal became so high it was nearly inaudible, then a wave of reiatsu entered the atmosphere. Someone came to save me! But this signature, it wasn't Byakuya's. It belonged to someone else, but who?

A dragon made of ice soared past the Gillian Menos, encasing it in a prison of ice. The Cero grew smaller, then exploded in the ice shell, vaporizing the Hollow's own head. "Don't mention it," said a voice. I looked up to see a kid, probably only twelve years old. In addition, white hair and a Captain's haori indicated who had saved me.

"Hitsugaya-taichō!" I said, relieved. "Thank you for saving me."

"Don't mention it," he repeated, somewhat annoyed. "Besides, I don't know what Hyōrinmaru was experiencing but he started having earthquakes in his inner world. I followed a Reiatsu trail here." Tōshirō sheathed his Zanpakutō, and the Gillian immediately shattered. "Were you responsible for that?"

_"I find a water source and cha__nnel my power through it..." No way, he couldn't have..._

"I don't know," I said. I noticed the ice fragments of the Gillian clump together together and, almost like clay being molded with invisible hands, mold into my Zanpakutō; a straight, three-foot long blade with cyan hilt wrapping.

"Socrius Kai...?" Tōshirō said. "You summoned a Menos? How is that even possible?"

"I think I angered those souls too much," I said sheepishly. "I don't even know how it happened myself. All I knew was that I was burying souls, left and right. When I left the souls behind, there was that Hollow."

Tōshirō huffed. "Anyways, Kuchiki-taichō was wondering where you had been. He didn't expect you to be out for so long. Don't know what is up with that man, but it appears as though he's gotten soft."

I took in a deep breath and pulled myself up. "Has he been more cold-hearted than this?"

"No, it's that Kuchiki-taichō used to be more... apathetic toward subordinate Shinigami. But he's started lowering those walls of his." Hitsugaya looked at me. "He's seen favor in you, Socrius."

Tōshirō opened up a Senkaimon, a butterfly slowly flapping out and landing on Tōshirō's hand. Just as Izuru said; a redwing. My own Jigokuchō flew from outside and landed on my shoulder. The light enveloped me as I walked into the Senkaimon.

* * *

><p>"Socrius Kai!" I was called to meet the First Captain, Head-Captain Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni. Hitsugaya commented that the report was grave, and that I was going to be punished. Byakuya was with Yamamoto-sotaichō when the news arrived.<p>

I bore a stoic expression, a face that showed no emotion. In the World of the Living, someone described it as The Void of Emotion; I kind of liked the term. But I didn't have the position to laugh; I was in because of an infraction. Upon entering the room, I lowered myself on one knee in front of Yamamoto and bowed my head. I tried not to look into any of the Captain's faces as I entered, especially Byakuya's.

"Socrius Kai," Yamamoto said, "do you realize what you have done?"

"No, sir. I was told that I was being punished, although I do not know any details." I needed to sound as if I was typing an essay, no contractions and to the point.

"You have endangered our war against the Hollows. Not only are you powerful to attract spirits; albeit a good trait; but you can send them into a Hollific frenzy, even causing them to mass up a Menos Grande. Do you realize the damage you caused, and will cause, in the World of the Living?

"You turn potential Shinigami warrior for our side into enemy Hollows. Because of that, hundreds of souls are lost because of this reckless action. Because of this, Socrius Kai, I demote you from your Sixth seat position to Seventh seat of the Sixth Division. In addition, you will be removed from your position as watcher of Fremont, California of the World of the Living!"

The punishment rocked my arms, causing me to become unsteady for a second. I dipped my head lower when I caught myself and softly said, "Yes, Yamamoto-sotaichō." With my head still bowed, I rose to my feet and walked out of the room.

"Nice subordinate you got there," Kenpachi told Byakuya. He said nothing.

"Hush, Zaraki-taichō," said a woman's voice, which was probably Unohana-taichō. "Kuchiki-taichō has gone through a lot today." Zaraki scoffed at the woman's words. I stopped in the hallway, just barely able to hear their voices.

"Old-man Yamamoto's mad, eh?" asked Kyoraku Shunsui, Captain of the Eighth Division.

"He didn't open his eyes," said Ukitake Jushirō, Captain of the Thirteenth Division. "He is not that mad at the boy."

"He isn't," said Tōshirō, "he was angrier at me when I created a Menos too. Of course, I had to deal with it myself."

"Hitsugaya-taichō," Byakuya said, "there is no need to compare the two of you. The past is the past, and Socrius-kun will get over it eventually."

"Ha! Showin' his soft side now!" Kenpachi laughed. I felt my fist clench as I heard footsteps coming out of the room. I felt eyes bore into my back, just standing there.

"Socrius..." Byakuya said, his voice steady, though starting to trail off.

"He's heard everything," Unohana-taichō said. "This is worse than just hearing his corrections."

I heard a pair of footsteps approach me, and a hand rest on my shoulder. "Socrius-kun," I heard Byakuya say, "return to the barracks. You should rest for tomorrow."

_Soft!_ I scorned Zaraki's words. "No longer am I worthy to be part of your Division, Kuchiki-taichō. Look, I don't deserve; I did not know the rules, and I... I could have given up the war with that..." I felt tears well up in my eyes, as well as my voice cracking. "I don't deserve to be Shinigami anymore!" Byakuya tightened his grip on me, probably to comfort me, but I brushed him off and jumped into the night sky.

"Socrius!" I shunpo'ed away, away from the First Division Barracks and Senzaikyū Dammit! I shunpo'ed away, over the roofs of the Sixth Division. Dammit! I shunpo'ed once more, over the sekkiseki walls. Dammit! I landed on the other side of the wall, crouching as my feet touched ground, then broke off running. Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! I was tired, and my legs screamed for rest, but I kept going. Away.

I stopped when I reached the river. There I sat down on a rock near the stream and stared at my reflection. "What did I do to deserve this?" I asked. I said no more as I buried my head in my arms.

Alone time. That was what I needed.


	11. 10:  We Got a Problem, You Got a Problem

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part II: Shinigami Arc**

**Chapter**** 10: ****If We've Got a Problem, You've Got a Problem**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and ****Zanpakutō**** if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>I unsheathed Shionari from my sheath and laid it across my lap. I calmed myself down, stopping my breathing to decrease my heart rate, then taking a deep breath before continuing to pause my breathing. "Was this supposed to happen?" I asked no one in particular. I sighed as I projected my mind on my Zanpakutō. For a while, only the sound of the river echoed in my ears, then...<p>

* * *

><p><em>...the sound of crashing waves. I slowly rose from the rock I was sitting on; it had somehow<br>changed while I was sitting by a river. I turned to the great pedestal, expecting Shionari waiting there, only to find it empty._

_"Shionari?" I called._

Why did you come? _he asked._ Go back; I am not fit for you. You deserve a better Zanpakutō than me. _I turned around to see a figure underneath the waters of __the sea. I saw Shionari, lying on the shelf of the reef. _I know now, I finally realized. I have too much power; so much that even I cannot control it.

I remember the first time I protected you. I was so sure that I could weaken the Hollow to subdue it, but your mind was clouded by so much fear that I couldn't control my powers to the fullest. Then the encounter with Gillian Menos in Fremont, the one that attacked Izuru-fukutaichō; I could not control how much power to give you, and so nearly killed you.

Now, this time. The presence of me alone attracted the Pluses that you desperately tried to bury as fast as you could. When you left, they formed a Gillian Menos, which was assisted by yet another one of its kind. I was so confident that I was going to overwhelm one of them, use its Reiryoku to fight, but only to experience a different kind of medium enter my world. One of an intruder; I had to release that power. I then left you undefended by neglecting the other Gillian. 'What would that one be doing?' I didn't ask. And calling for help, I forced Hitsugaya-taichō to listen to the call of his Zanpakutō to save you... and now your demotion.

It is my fault that all of this happened.

_I couldn't take anymore of this. I dove into the water and started to swim toward the dragon. I have bashed myself around when I was alive, and I just wanted to tear down everything. That was... until my brother came, sat next to me, and wrapped his arms around me. Shionari needed that. I needed to know that I cared. It was my fault, as well, for not taking precautions, for not looking out after myself. I had the right to be blamed as well. Neither did I want a disharmony between Shinigami and Zanpakutō._

_I swam until I was next to Shionari and lowered myself next to him. I placed a hand on his aqueous body and then tried to wrap my arms around him. I felt a water current slightly push me, but I stayed there, with the dragon. "I have bashed myself around more than once before. I didn't like the feeling, but I couldn't stop blaming myself... until I had someone to confide in._

_"You are my Zanpakutō, and that is not going to change. I'm not dead yet, I'm still alive. We will keep living, and stay together. I do not want a disharmony between you and me. Regardless of how you protect me, I appreciate that you tried."_

_My lungs were crying for air now, and I had to release my mouth. I kept myself calm though, as I removed myself from Shionari and stroked the dragon's body. It was as if my own being wasn't important anymore, but my Zanpakutō's. I felt my mind fading, my hand stopping, and a powerful rush of current push me toward the surface..._

* * *

><p>I opened my eyes, expecting myself in Soul Society. However, I saw the head of a water dragon above me, watching me intently. I smiled at the dragon, and I heard a soft rumble coming from the dragon.<p>

_You are well?_ Shionari asked.

"Yeah," I said. "You're still not in that state of depression, are you?"

There was silence. _There had never been a light drizzle in your Inner World before,_ he said, lowering his head. _I never felt you feel so low before. It was a new __experience, and I was also afraid of what might happen._

"It's okay now." I placed a hand on Shionari's head and passed my hand around in a petting motion.

_Are you going to apologize to Kuchiki-taichō?_ I raised an eyebrow. _You said to him the same thing__ I said to you. He tried to comfort you, yet you resisted. Wouldn't that be disrespectful to him?_

"You're right..." I said. "I'll make it up to him later." I laid down on the rock, feeling a chill of reiatsu crawl down my spine. Someone had entered my presence. I turned to see Kurotsuchi-taichō, whom cocked his bi-colored and ornamented head at Shionari. The dragon dispersed into water and spilled into the river.

"Interesting..." he said. I grabbed my Zanpakutō and stood up, ready to defend myself. "A feisty one, at that," he said with disdain. "Socrius Kai, the Twelfth Division wishes to analyze your Zanpakutō. If you will come with me, we can see if we can remedy your Hollow problem."

I beamed. "You could?!"

"We aren't the Shinigami Research and Development Institute for nothing, you know." There was a twisted smile on his face, but I still followed him back into Seireitei. I followed him down the main street, toward the Senzaikyū. But we didn't reach the pillared path area, but stopped at a large building with the Gotei Thirteen icon with the Kanji _Twelve_ in the rhombus shape. We entered the courtyard and turned to the left. There stood a building with a sign above its doorpost, translating into _Shinigami Research and Development Institute_.

I felt a strong reiatsu resonate behind me. I glanced back to see Kuchiki-taichō there, his eyes calm. "Why are you here, Kuchiki-taichō?" Kurotsuchi-taichō asked.

"To accompany my subordinate," Byakuya answered. "He is part of my Division whether he likes or not, unless I dismiss him to a different Division." Kurotsuchi-taichō exhaled sharply before continuing into the Institute. "Go on," Byakuya urged me. "I will be behind you." I nodded my head as I followed Kurotsuchi-taichō into the building.

"First of all, I require your Zanpakutō for analysis. You are to come back later to pick it up, but until then, _shoo_!" I stood my ground and didn't start untying Shionari off of my sash. "Hmm? What's wrong?"

I didn't trust him. "I wish to witness my Zanpakutō's analysis."

"That's against Institute regulations," Kurotsuchi said, annoyed. "So be a good boy and give me the Zanpakutō and wait outside."

"It's my Zanpakutō! You can't force me to do anything!" I took a step back and prepared to defend myself to the release of the reiatsu of two Captains. Kurotsuchi-taichō had his hand on his Zanpakutō's hilt, while Byakuya had a hand on Kurotsuchi-taichō's wrist; it seemed to me like the start of a battle.

"Let me go, Kuchiki," Kurotsuchi-taichō said vehemently.

"It is against Gotei Thirteen regulation to punish another Division's member without consent of his or her Captain. And as this boy's Captain, I disallow your act of retribution and relinquishment of his Zanpakutō." Byakuya's eyes steeled at the other Captain. "Socrius, let's go." Byakuya released Kurotsuchi-taichō and started to walk away. I promptly followed after Byakuya and exited the building.

"Here come the tsundere!" Kenpachi called. "And he got his pet to tag along too!" I was about to draw my Zanpakutō until Byakuya put a hand out in front of me.

"Drawing your sword against a Captain is treason. I would say that he strike first, and draw to defend yourself."

"But he's taunting us! Isn't that striking too?!"

"Having him attack first is the loophole. Apparently, Soul Society has many of those." Byakuya lowered his hand as I released my grip.

"Zaraki-taichō," said a familiar voice, "we may as well just be quiet and keep the peace. This bickering can stop when you want to." A Shinigami stood forward from a culminating crowd of the Eleventh Division members. It was the Shinigami that had come into Urahara Shoten the night before!

"Who're you?" Kenpachi asked.

"Right... my name is Raynes Anson. Fifth Division, Third Seat."

"Third Seat..." Kenpachi hummed. "Whoever thought a Third had the nerve to talk to a Captain!" Kenpachi drew his sword and jumped at Anson, who deftly raised his own Zanpakutō to block Kenpachi. The ground around Anson collapsed, causing several of the Eleventh Division members to fall into the newly-formed, ring-shaped depression. Waves of Reiatsu surged from the two, causing me to have to shield myself. I glanced at Byakuya to see his eyes widen for a second.

Anson pushed against Kenpachi's sword, whom was taken aback at the Third Seat's onslaught. Anson appeared behind Kenpachi, whom turned around with two hands on his sword. "No one is stronger than _Kenpachi_!"

An Eleventh Division member ran from his comrades and stood before Kenpachi, saying something like "stop!" Anson's lips moved to form words, and the ground started to shake again. "The shield generator?" Byakuya questioned. "No, this Reiatsu cannot be the shield generator...!"

Kenpachi's movements slowed. The Eleventh Division member raised his Zanpakutō to futilely shield himself, only to see Kenpachi slowly lowering his sword. "I suggest you back away," Anson said. "If he touches you, he could kill you."

The member looked up again. "He won't kill anyone moving that slow."

"Actually, he only _loo__ks_ slow, while in reality we are only moving faster. He is retaining his velocity and force, so just listen to me."

The member looked up again, Kenpachi's blade only inches from the member's Zanpakutō. "Naw! I'll be fine!" The blades touched, and the member disappeared into the ground, accompanied by a pillar of dust. I imagined that he landed in the sewers and startled a Fourth Division member. I remembered watching something on YouTube like that when I was still alive... with less drastic results.

"I warned him," Anson said, flipping his Zanpakutō five hundred-forty degrees and slammed the Zanpakutō back into its sheath. "This fight is done."

"Hey! Get back here-!" Kenpachi called, only to be interrupted by a Jigokuchō. _Alert! Red alert! Captains __Ōtoribashi Rujoro, __Hi__rako Shinji, Muguruma Kensei__ and __of the Third, Fifth, and Ninth Divisions have gone missing! A gathering of Hollows __have been __discovered in Rukongai District Eighty East! Repeat, Red alert! __Captains Ōtoribashi Rujoro, Hirako Shinji, Muguruma Kensei and of the Third, Fifth, and Ninth Divisions have gone missing! __A gathering of Hollows __have been __discovered in Rukongai District Eighty East!_

"Muguruma-taichō!" said someone, sounding like Hisagi-fukutaichō. Anson seemed to follow suit, because of _his_ Captain, followed closely by a group of Shinigami. I turned to leave, but Byakuya stayed me with a hand. "Socrius-kun," he told me, "I know you are able to take down a Gillian-class Menos easily, but many Gillians are hazardous. Please allow higher ranked officers take care of this."

"I want to help," I said. "I want to make up for what I've done; if I made a Gillian Menos, then I have to take care of it myself; like Hitsugaya-taichō had." I also didn't want to go back to Tsubasa Daichi, I thought. I would show him a thing or two, but the rules won't allow it.

Byakuya closed his eyes. "Then it seems I cannot stop you. Do what you may, but if something like this happens again, know that you are to stay in Seireitei. However, if you become injured, you are to return to the barracks; understand?" I nodded my head to show I understood. "Keep up. District Eighty East is not very far with Shunpo."

We walked out of the Shōryūmon gates and started the journey due east. I watched as the houses passed below me, then the same path I walked to reach Seireitei just a year before. I feigned nostalgia by raising my head up, seeing that Byakuya was not very far ahead of me. Could he possibly be slowing down for me? I turned to my right to see Onmitsukidō members quickly jumping past us, seeming like they were about a half times faster than Byakuya and I. Yeah, Kuchiki-taichō is definitely slowing down for me.

It was about two minutes until we reached District Seventy-Nine East. A gathering of Shinigami were evacuating souls from the surrounding buildings, while Kidō Corps members were holding up Dankū barriers around the District Eighty forest. "Hisagi-fukutaichō!" called the voice. "We found these in the forest!" Three Onmitsukidō members emerged from the brush, each carrying a shihakusho... and a Captain's haori.

"The haori of Three, Five, and Nine..." Hisagi whispered. "Though they were the Shinigami-Hollows whom fought against Aizen... what happened?" A high-pitched scream answered Hisagi as the Dankū barriers seemed to bend and seemingly shatter, the force throwing nearly everyone down. The "nearly everyone" included the Captains who braced themselves, and Yamamoto-sotaichō and Anson who seemed to just take the force as an incoming breeze.

I slowly rose to a knee and watched as a figure with a white, full face mask emerged from the shadows. It had three large spikes that stuck out, two on the sides and one on top, with two lesser protrusions in between. It bore no Hollow eye-holes nor a set of teeth. The figure was dressed in the Shinigami shihakusho, except it was in a white color scheme and had a large, collared cape draped over his shoulders. In his right hand was a scythe, held behind his back... except I couldn't tell whether the figure was a guy or a girl.

"It is against the rules for a Shinigami to acquire Hollow-like powers," Yamamoto-sotaichō said, as if he had dealt with these kinds of people before. "Are you possibly one of Aizen's abandoned _Arrancars_?"

"Arrancar..." said the figure. Behind the mixed echo, I heard a male tone. "It is indeed an insult to call me one of those lowly half-breeds. Even artificial half-breeds at that. I figured Shinigami would recognize a Vasto Lorde when they saw one." A series of screams resounded behind the figure, and the figure merely put a hand out. White gleams showed that a horde of Hollows was behind him. "However, now that you have discovered the missing of your three Captains, the King of Hollows has a message for you.

"Our compromise was to completely eradicate Aizen and any Shinigami-Hollow mixes. However, we learned of Aizen's infusion with the Hōgyoku, and so have allowed that to be overlooked, but whatever happen to your faction of Visoreds? Hirako Shinji, Muguruma Kensei, and Ōtoribashi Rujoro were only the few whom were in Soul Society... but we have already dealt with them.

"Where are the others?!" A wave of Reiatsu pushed against everyone; everyone cowered, save for the ones unaffected by the first pulse.

"Kurosaki Ichigo..." I heard Byakuya mutter. There was a flash of sparks, and I saw the messenger next to Byakuya, the tip of the scythe blocked by a slightly drawn Senbonzakura.

"Repeat to me what you have said," the messenger commanded. "Kuchiki Byakuya, Twenty-Eighth Head of the Kuchiki Family." Byakuya only steeled his eyes, with all weapons trained on the two men. A few Shinigami prepared to draw their Zanpakutō.

"I merely tried guessing your name, Fudosagi Ikido." I was amazed at Byakuya's lying, keeping his composed posture and having no minor movement betray him. "But I believe it wasn't correct."

The messenger lowered his scythe before appearing back where he was originally standing. "I shall leave now, but I haven't explained why I am here. Yamamoto-sotaichō, the Hollow King has commanded his forces in declaring war against Soul Society; the denizens of Hueco Mundo against those of Soul Society. You have broken enough balances between us; more infractions than we have counted. But your defenses have proved troublesome, and so our invasion has begun." Everyone, except Anson, seemed frozen by the declaration as the messenger lifted his left hand and snapped his fingers, promptly disappearing. Three large figures crashed down to the ground, roaring at the Shinigami.

"Muguruma-taichō?" Hisagi asked, recognizing the Hollow with a hockey-mask design.

"Ōtoribashi-taichō?" Izuru asked, facing a Hollow with a bird's head-and-beak design.

"Hirako-taichō?" a girl with her hair shaped into a bun, Hinamori Momo, asked a Hollow whom had an ogre-designed mask. "Why..." the three said, nearly the exact same time."

Each Captain-Hollow roared, throwing back nearby Shinigami, save for Yamamoto, the Captains, Anson, and their designated Division Lieutenants. A small barrier started to form from the Captain-Hollows' feet, enveloping the Lieutenants.

"Let me deal with it!" Anson called, pushing Hinamori out of position, and being enclosed inside the barrier field. Hinamori crashed to the ground as she called out Anson's name.

"Raynes-san, it's my duty!" she said. "The lieutenant is supposed to account for the safety of all Division members, not the Third Seat!"

"Reap, Kazeshini!" called Hisagi, brandishing his two, dual-bladed scythes. "Muguruma-taichō, I never wanted to face you, but I know what you want! You were enslaved to do this!"

"Raise thy head, Wabisuke!" Izuru waved his strange, square-tipped sword which curved twice at ninety degrees. "Ōtoribashi-taichō, I don't know what's happened, but it wasn't meant to end like this, right?"

Anson didn't release his Zanpakutō, like the others, but Hirako-Hollow just seemed to disappear as Anson waved his blade a full three-sixty arc. Behind the blade, the Hollow steadily lost his figure, as if the Zanpakutō was an eraser-tool, erasing the Hollow-hybrid. "Y'know, just deal with it. If they are Hollows, they won't listen to words. Break their masks, and they will have something to say before they disappear!"

* * *

><p>The flames of Ryūjin Jakka resumed the form of Yamamoto's Zanpakutō after the last Hollow dissipated. The heat started to disappear as Ryūjin Jakka returned to its cane form, Yamamoto responding with a thoughtful sigh. "Hirako-taichō just vanished..." Hinamori said softly. "He didn't want this, did he?"<p>

Anson lowered himself onto one knee and placed a hand on Hinamori's shoulder. "He said the same as Ōtoribashi-taichō and Muguruma-taichō. 'I never intended to be Visored. The Hollow always wanted to break out. Even though I learned to keep it down and become accomplices, it was like I was having the time of my life.' After a chuckle, they said, 'I guess it was for the better. Tell Hinamori not to cry, it wasn't her fault to begin with anyway.'"

Hinamori shuddered before bursting into tears and wrapping her arms around Anson. Anson patted her back, glancing at everyone before having Hinamori rise to her feet.

"War after another now, eh?" Kyoraku-taichō asked. "Seems like having that Kurosaki-kid enter Soul Society was last week, the Bounts the next, then the Arrancars and Aizen, then that crazy Twelfth Division exile, then our Zanpakutō and Muramasa, then Shusuke Amagi, then those Fullbring people. Now it's Hollows all over again."

"All that in a little over a year too," Ukitake-taichō agreed. "But something tells me that this battle is going to be different than all the other battle we have fought."

Byakuya approached Yamamoto. "Yamamoto-sotaichō, I have a request to make."

"It is not about Kurosaki Ichigo, is it?" he asked. "That is what you were thinking when the messenger approached you, correct?"

"I hate to admit, but yes. What of Kurosaki Ichigo? We may have restored his powers, but what if he still has his Hollow lying dormant inside him? The Hollow King merely needs to find him and empower the Hollow inside him in order to enslave him. One of our last resorts will have been gone, while the Hollows have gained a valuable asset. We cannot lose Kurosaki Ichigo to the Hollows."

"Then you shall inform him of this," Yamamoto said. "Your sister-in-law, Kuchiki Rukia, has been visiting the town of Karakura in the World of the Living for a great deal now. If you cannot get to Kurosaki, Kuchiki Rukia will."

Byakuya's expression changed to surprise, then disgust, for a quick moment. "I understand," Byakuya replied. "Let's go back to the barracks," he told me.

"Who's Kurosaki?" I asked.

"He... was the one whom saved Soul Society from Aizen, once upon a time."

The one described in the pamphlet that I read over a year ago?!


	12. 11: What is Reality?

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part II: Shinigami Arc**

**Chapter 11: What is Reality?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These ****characters (and ****Zanpakutō**** if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>Byakuya led me back to the Sixth Division barracks, but I was unsure whether I should enter or not. Of course, Tsubasa Daichi was waiting. Waiting to watch me walk in and then ridicule me about my demotion. I felt every footstep become heavier as I neared the double sliding doors. "Socrius?" the Captain asked, turning his head.<p>

"You go ahead," I said. "I just need a moment. It's all confusing, all what had happened."

Byakuya faced forward, but didn't start walking. "Every Shinigami whom had remembered living as a human feels that way. It may be a phase that those souls are going through, but there are going to be more predicaments.

"But, if it is about Tsubasa-kun, you have nothing to worry about. He may be the disruption in the Division, but many despise him. He is the unpopular one of our Division." Byakuya started walking forward, entered through the door, and made an awkward step before heading toward the stairs.

I sighed once before turning to the moon. Is this one of the steps to rebirth, perhaps? A form of purgatory? I reverted my gaze toward the sliding doors and stepped through the threshold. I spotted a foot come out and I made a platform of reishi over the foot to avoid stepping on it. "Excuse me," I said.

I turned to my right to see Daichi grimace at me. "Acting all high-and-mighty," he growled, "even though you're demoted. Hiding behind the Captain's skirts, huh?"

I continued walking. "If the Captain be wearing skirts, you'd be accusing yourself as a cross-dresser as well." An "ooh, burn!" echoed the room. "If you will excuse me," I said, "I will be getting my rest. Come back to me tomorrow." I imagined Tsubasa clench his teeth at me, enraged. I merely headed up the stairs, entered my room, locked the door behind me, washed up, and entered my floor-bed. Shionari was placed against the wall.

_You did great, handling that oaf,_ Shionari commented.

"It was very easy. He will find every opportunity to mess up my day. In fact, I think he will try to trip me at every corner; all I have to do is just step over his foot."

_Wonderful proposition. _I chuckled to myself before closing my eyes. Tomorrow was gonna be a long day.

* * *

><p>It was about ten o'clock in the morning, and Seireitei was already bustling with activity. I was standing in front of the Division One barracks, along with the rest of my Division. The only thing that irked me was that we had to stand according to seat rank, and so I was standing with Tsubasa Daichi to my right. His fist clenched as he uneasily eyed me with a twitch in his eye.<p>

_"Any misconduct will result in the dismissal of the one whom created the act," Byakuya told all of us. "He or she shall be questioned upon the end of the ceremony. There will be surveillance Jigokuchō, and they will show me who started the disruption. Do not try me."_

I looked forward, seeing Yamamoto walk out of the barracks. "It has been decided! For passing the Captain's Proficiency Test, Raynes Anson shall now be the captain of the Fifth Division!" I became disbelieved as a few Shinigami in Tsubasa's direction burst into applause. Anson came walking down the aisle, with Hinamori trailing after him, her face somewhat downcast. Personally, I was surprised, as Anson couldn't have possibly mastered Bankai before the lieutenant... right?

_"It is possible for one of a lower seat to master Bankai before a senior," Byakuya explained one day. "Third Seat Madarame Ikkaku of the Eleventh Division mastered Bankai before Kusajishi-fukutaichō."_

I wonder what Raynes-taichō's Bankai does...?

When Anson walked away to the Fifth Division barracks, Tsubasa faced me. "Y'know, I'm really itching to beat you up. How about that?"

"Try?" I answered him. I stepped away from him and started to walk away. I heard the footsteps of his waraji and sidestepped to the left. He's right-handed, I thought, seeing his fist. Okay. I drew Shionari and swiftly cut at his sash before sheathing my sword. I noticed a cut in the fabric; I didn't cut it all the way. "Please. Just stop. Leave me alone already and go bother someone else."

"Crumble... _Chiheisei_!" Drafts of wind whipped past me as my surprise became fear. _He's not really going to..._ I whipped around to see him carrying a leaf-bladed sword in his right hand, raised high above his head. Dust and leaves whirled around the blade as I now became pushed rather than pulled. A few Shinigami came around to watch the ensuing combat, waiting for me to act. "Rend and tear!" Tsubasa said sadistically, swiping his sword down.

With almost no time to react, I drew Shionari and declared, "Rage and entrench, Shionari!" My blade immediately dispersed and formed its serpent-dragon form, coiling around my body and diverting the winds. Corners of building's roofs were snapped and the ground around me started to become terraformed. I fueled Reiryoku into the hilt to hold up the barrier. I will have to deluge soon... I won't be able to keep it up.

"Shock waves fill the sky, Kaminarino Hy_ō_ji!" A flash of lightning struck the courtyard. Suddenly, it became easier to handle the shield that protected me, while the winds suddenly became erratic and tore up the tiled floors next to Daichi. "Both of you, stop!" I looked through the translucent form of Shionari to see a girl on a building, carrying the hilt of a Zanpakutō. A display of electricity trailed from the guard area, extended in between me and Daichi. She jumped down to the ground. "What are you two fighting over?!"

"You sure are loud for a short girl," Daichi commented. He was quickly awarded with a flick of electricity, dropping his Greek sword. As it touched the ground, the blade morphed back into a standard two feet-and-a-half katana.

"For a Sixth Division member, you don't follow the rules very well," she said, sealing her own Zanpakutō before sheathing it. "Shame that you forgot that release of your Zanpakutō was forbidden unless intruders have entered the premises."

"What about you and Socrius?!" Daichi questioned. "You two released your Zanpakutō...!"

"To defend ourselves and restore order," the girl interrupted. "There's the loophole, surely Kuchiki-taichō has told you." Daichi bit his lip at the backfire.

I called my Zanpakutō back just as I saw Byakuya turn the corner. "Tsubasa-kun," he said, "follow me back to the barracks. Socrius-kun, I shall speak to you later." The pock-faced Shinigami grumbled under his breath as he picked up his Zanpakutō.

"You are dead," he hissed at me.

"Try me," I replied. I watched them walk away, due south toward the Shōryūmon. I then turned toward the girl, dipping my head slightly. "Thanks for helping me out." It felt weird, since I required the help of a girl whom was no taller than my forehead. It made me think that, everyday I would need someone to help me out of a situation.

"Just trying to keep the peace," she sighed. "But that oaf keeps harassing everyone he labels. 'Special treatment'... he's the one who's mental now." She shook her head before looking up at me. "Hibiscus. Hibiscus Rosche; Fifth Division, Third Seat. How are you?"

"Socrius Kai; Sixth Division, Seventh Seat. Getting by, I guess." I uneasily tapped the hilt of my Zanpakutō. "Are Shinigami allowed to release their Zanpakutō to protect themselves?"

"Only the Ninth Division can release their Zanpakutō for security purposes, but many say that their Zanpakutō generally do not like to be seen by their wielder. So Division members four and higher are allowed to release their Zanpakutō to make up for the lack of Ninth Division enforcement... with good reason though."

The entrance of a Reiatsu signature brought me looking at Anson, whom was jumping to the ground from a building. He glanced at me, probably having something on his mind, before turning to Rosche. "What did you do this time, Rosche?"

"I taught the oaf Tsubasa Daichi a lesson, Anson. Don't you have paperwork to do?"

"Nah, Hinamori seemed fine doing it herself. I'm not the one who does paperwork, unless I actually _feel_ like it or it's mandatory. Not like I lose my position or anything." He smiled to himself. "And it's not 'Anson' anymore, it's 'Raynes-taichō'." The newcomer Captain was awarded a kick to the stomach, and was now reeling on the ground.

"To hell with that! I've never called you by Japanese honorifics since we entered the Fifth Division. I don't have that kind of respect; for you at least."

"Then call yourself... 'Rosche Hibiscus' or something... if you don't... use the... honorifics..." Anson grunted before rising back to his full height. Just over my own head. "What about 'Captain Raynes' then?"

"This is a Japanese-majority society! Even the other Captains' names sound Japanese, as well as all the other prominent figures! Of course we have to do the surname-first name business; to not confuse the locals!" Rosche socked Anson in the arm, whom went down on his knees.

"Why the hell do I have to put up with this every day...?" he whined. He got back up. "I'm going to the barracks to sleep. If I go on any longer, I think I'm gonna die of fractured bones, though not like I will..." Rosche huffed angrily at her new Captain.

"You two seem well acquainted with one another," I hinted.

"He starts everything," Rosche replied. "And now I have to put up with calling him 'taichō' or 'Captain'..."

"But isn't it against the rules to attack a Captain?" I asked. "It _is_ treason, right?"

"There is something called 'intent' within the rules. If you intend to kill a Captain, then it is treason. But if you show restrained force, it isn't; the example of what I did is what most Shinigami do to _their _Captains, but most don't come in contact with their Captain unless the Captain requests their audience." She sighed. "The Soul Society's regulations are bent so much that you can easily slip through the cracks; they are not concise at all. A simple sentence is all they tell us."

"Kuchiki-taichō told me about the loopholes... but he hadn't said anything about intent."

"Maybe it's because he doesn't need to bother. He is the head of a Great Noble Family, so I doubt it would be good for his position if he was battered around like a sandbag."

I nodded. The rules now confused me. There were things you could and could not do, yet now there are things you have to consider before you act according to the rules, yet doing something the rules state that the act is against the rules... _dammit, this is so confusing..._

"It does seem like that," Rosche said, as if reading my mind, or just recognizing my expression. "Although some do get used to that realization pretty quickly." She lowered her head, but I could tell she was hiding a smile.

A Jigokuchō fluttered in between us. _Socrius-san, Kuchiki-taichō requests your presence._ Then it flew off.

"Well, I'm gonna go now."

She nodded. "Later." I turned around as a past memory came flowing back to me from the past...

* * *

><p><em>It was in middle school. A group of girls at a table called me out for the tenth time that year. "It's not good to be a loner," said Lydia.<em>

_"Just sit with us," Joyce offered. "At least you won't feel lonely."_

_I stood up, but only to throw away my half-finished lunch. Then, ignoring them, I slung on my backpack and started walking toward the blacktop basketball courts. As much as__ I liked Lydia, I didn't need to intrude upon her life. _I don't need this,_ I told myself. _But no matter where I go, I know I won't be able to handle anything related with girls.

_I entered the basketball courts and made for the benches. I sat down and pulled out my notebook and started to write. I periodically looked up to see if Lydia or Joyce came around looking for me. When they didn't, I came upon one conclusion: I wasn't wanted, and their friendship was nothing but false; they had a life that they didn't need another person to complicate. Ever since that day, my eyes never shed another tear._

_No, not just a loss of emotion. Ever since that day, I lost touch with Reality._

* * *

><p>When I came to reality, I found myself at the steps of the Sixth Division barracks. This only complicates my life, I thought. Why do I even have such a hard time with this...? It shouldn't even bother me! So why? I walked into the barracks, and the ground rushed up to meet me. My mind was blank as everything faded to black.<p>

* * *

><p><em>I hated myself that day. I never sunk lower than after sending that message. What was more heart-wrenching was what she replied with. Those words wouldn't leave me.<em>

_'I think we should stay away from each other as much as possible. I'm kind of afraid I might do something I might regret later,' I typed._

_I spent the next hour waiting, just waiting for a response. It bothered me, that I wouldn't just take it like a man. I was a coward; just hiding in my shell and not wanting to face Reality. No, everything was false then; still false._

_She didn't reply until the next day, after school. I hurt her more than I thought I was enduring. I avoided the places we met; I forced myself to do so. It felt worse than when I contemplated suicide after the "break-up" with Lydia; no more like breaking a friendship than a break-up. My heart sunk lower and lower until I decided to just lie down. Homework was out of the question. I couldn't do it. How could I possibly do homework without any outside elements to distract me from my problem?_

_She typed, 'So you're basically avoiding me... After school, I didn't know why you seemed so freaked out. I didn't get your message until now, but I guess I know why now.'_

_I promptly picked up the phone and called her. "Hello, ...?" I heard myself say. Even in my memories, I forgotten the name. It was as if someone hit the mute button on this movie or something; there was a mouth movement but I didn't hear anything. 'About me and that PM... I don't know what's wrong with me anymore.' There was a long pause. It was probably my girl friend speaking. Not a couple yet, still friends._

_'It just seems that my life is messed up. I do the consciously good things, and bad things happen, while when I do the consciously bad or wrong things, I am awarded materially. I don't know anymore. I don't understand why I do things. For the past four or five years, I lived like this. And I hated myself._

_'You're worth so much more than me. Why I even sent that first message, why did I send it? I was desperate. Ever since five years ago, I was desperate. And why am I even saying this to someone I've not even barely met for a year... In truth, I believe you deserve a much better person than me._

_'I'm glad you came to me though. But I've never said the one thing I want__ed; thank you. For all you had done. I see others, but my mind directs me back to you. But if it came to this, and I avoid you with every fiber of my being, it will be as if my life had went from _Clannad_ to _Byosoku no Five Centimeter_.'_

_There was a long silence. 'That's it,' the other me said. Another long pause before a quick 'okay, we'll talk later then. See you.'_

_It was probably worse than having a drug crash. I felt so miserable that I thought I would die from heartburn or something. I hated myself. I shouldn't have kept going down this path. I should have apologized and comforted her. But no; I was stupid. 'I was the saddest one when you were gone, and now I'm still the saddest when you came back.' What was that to say?!_

_My other self slammed a fist on the desk, barely touching the computer. It hurt to do so, I remember the pain, but I kept it there. I then went into my bed and went under the covers. Sleep was what I wanted, it always helped._

_I listened to 'One More Time', the ending insert for Byosoku no Five Centimeter one last time, before going to bed. It was the song that portrayed everything I wanted to say to that girl friend. When I got to the ending verse, I shed one tear. One._

_In five long years, I brushed against Reality. Only to be taken away again._

_I have only experienced pain. Once I got something I desired, something, someone, or myself only took it and threw it farther away. I got something only to be taken away. I worked hard to get punished. I did wrong things to get rewarded._

_Why is my life like this...?_

* * *

><p><em>Kai,<em> someone said. _Are you okay?_

I looked up, seeing my friend's face, except her features were off; higher cheekbones and sharper eyes. Her hair had a light-blue hue instead of black, her eyes being a pale periwinkle instead of the same black. Her skin tone was a bit lighter too. Instead of a normal T-shirt and gray jacket, it was an intricate combat vest, the ones you saw in Medieval Chinese dramas.

_Can you speak?_ she asked again. I heard a knock and the girl turned to the door before she vanished. In stepped Byakuya, his face was his usual apathetic, but with a tinge of worry. He looked around for a quick second.

"How are you?" he asked.

"My head hurts," I said. "What happened?"

"A Division member reported that Tsubasa tripped you while walking into the barracks. When you didn't get up, he called for me, and I sent you to the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho of the Fourth Division. It's the second time in a year that you've been here. They found nothing wrong with you, and sent you back to the barracks, but you still slept.

"It has been three days."

_Three days?! _I instinctively jolted up and looked around, my left hand shooting out to my alarm clock. It collided with air, and I saw that my rolling nightstand wasn't there. I looked to my right; a door instead of my clothes cabinet. In front was a wall; not a windowed wall and windowed doors.

"This isn't my room," I blurted. "Where am I?"

"Socrius-kun..." Byakuya said concernedly.

"Where...? What am I doing here? Where's my computer; my desk; my ideas notebook? Where is it?!" My eyes darted across the room, seemingly unfamiliar now. No swivel chair with a jacket and vest hanging on it. No stuffed dolphin by my bed. Nothing seemed recognizable.

"Unohana-taichō," Byakuya said under a breath. "The worst has come. He's remembering his Life, and is now undergoing the Stage Three." Pause. "I'm with him right now." Pause. "He's overreacting, he's not calm at all." Pause. "How do you expect me to forcefully calm him down?!" I stared at Byakuya.

"Dad, don't argue with Mom anymore. You guys argued for so long, yet you're still married to each other... so why are you still together!" I felt tears come into my eyes. Even over the phone!

"This conversation is building his tension!" Byakuya hissed. "I'll bring him to the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho right now. Be there in three seconds." He put away the flip-screen phone and stowed it in a pocket. He then pointed a finger at me. "Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six. Bakudo Sixty-One, _Rikujōkōrō_."

The sheets flew off of my body and six arrowheads of light pierced into my waist. I couldn't feel my neck and below. "What are you doing to me?!" I called. "I haven't done anything! Nothing!" Byakuya ignored my pleas and grabbed the collar of my shihakusho and picked up my Zanpakutō, tying that to his sash. "Where are you taking me, you bastard?!"

Byakuya's face twitched. He faced me and slapped my left cheek, instantly paralyzing my speech. "Quiet" was the only word he said, and I could only stare at Byakuya hatefully.

The world skewed for two seconds and stopped in another place. I was dropped to the ground, but I felt too numbed for any pain. I tried to feel my arms and legs and only felt twitches. Two men dressed in white resembling doctors rushed out with a stretcher and hoisted me up. I watched Byakuya and Unohana talking. Before turning a corner, I saw Byakuya looking at his right hand before clenching it tightly. Unohana then placed a hand on Byakuya's shoulder before taking Shionari from Byakuya's left hand and turning toward the building I was in.

I was laid under an LED, multi-lens, strobe light, as if in an emergency room. Unohana placed Shionari beside my body and put a few wired suction cups to my forehead. She leaned into my face blocking out most of the strobe light's lenses. "Relax. We aren't going to hurt you. Forgive me for doing this though." She placed a hand over my eyes, covering my vision. I tried to resist the hand, but my body was too limp to move. "Bakudo Three, _Inemuri_." I grew wide awake with fear, but my vision blacked out. I felt the rest of my body again. I heard myself say the word "no" before black entirely muddled my conscience.


	13. 12: And When I Return

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part II: Shinigami Arc**

**Chapter 12: And When I Return...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. ****These characters (and ****Zanpakutō**** if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p><em>It is pitch-black here. I cannot see the ground I am standing on, nor my feet, not even my hands. I turned my head up; it was as if someone had swapped the sky out for a black blanket, blotting out the sun or moon; whichever one. I blindly walked forward, unknowing what may lie ahead.<em>

_I stumbled and fell to a knee, but I didn't know what I tripped on. It was too dark. I merely dusted my knee and kept walking forward. Soon, I saw a bright light at the end of this tunnel of shadow. I started toward the prick of light, barely tripping again, until I came closer and closer. I felt a familiar feeling coming from that opening. When I came in contact with the light, it flashed and promptly engulfed me._

_When my vision cleared, I saw an island of stone below me. Chills gripped my body as I hovered toward the island. My feet touched the stone platform. A pedestal dominated the island in the northern direction, with stalagmites surrounding the perimeter of the island, except for a patch of open area toward the south, where the waves lapped against the island's edge._

_I looked around. That nostalgic feeling was still there, but there wasn't anything around. I turned to the pedestal._ Maybe I'll get a better look if I stand on that thing. _So I walked toward the pedestal and inspected for a quick second. I then stood on it and looked around. It didn't give me much sight range._

_Almost immediately, the sky darkened and the waves became violent. The wav__es sprayed into my face as a large shadow swept over me._ How dare you desecrate my..._ I turned to see a large, blue, serpent wyvern, mouth agape; probably in awe. _Kai...?

_"Who're you?" I asked, surprised. I took a few steps back, only to fall as I stepped off the pedestal. "What do you want from me?"_

_The serpent was taken aback, as if shocked. _You do not remember me...? I'm your Zanpakutō, Shionari! Surely you couldn't have forgotten that!

_"Shionari..." I said thoughtfully. "Zanpakutō? What are you talking about? What, am I living an anime character now; something about existing in a post-life experience?"_

Kai..._ The serpent lowered itself on the floor around me, coiling around me. _You... you don't remember anymore...

* * *

><p>"His communication with his Zanpakutō confirms the worse!" called a supervisor. "He doesn't remember <em>anything<em> about dying anymore!"

"That's impossible..." Unohana said. "To forget the past year and a half, what does this mean?! We've already dealt with a Shinigami whom remembered his past Shinigami life, but dealing with one remembering his human life should be much more smooth; this case happened many times over! So why is this not working?"

Unohana turned to see the painted face of Kurotsuchi. "Unohana-taichō, allow me to explain then.

"When Socrius-kun left the First Division barracks upon hearing his corrections, I followed him outside of Seireitei. He was in the middle of Jinzen when I found him; wasn't too hard to trace his reiatsu signature; but a water dragon materialized from the river beside him.

"Now after that concussion with the floor, he has been suffering from dissociative amnesia, or at least a memory block due to physical trauma to his head, forgetting what he has done since dying. He only remembers being alive, which is why he has gotten only angry and powerless to our Kidō skills. One with his reiatsu should be able to strain at least one light of Rikujōkōrō with kotodama, possibly break one with no kotodama, before being fully immobilized.

"According to our records, Zanpakutō are able to manifest themselves in a material form, correct? If so, the Zanpakutō must have at least visited Socrius-kun while in his or her human-material form. I felt a copy of Kai's reiatsu signature with him, which was before Kuchiki-taichō entered his room. There was no confusion then, so the Zanpakutō couldn't possibly be in its non-human form, along with that fact that his Zanpakutō spirit must have something to do with Kai's Life." Kurotsuchi smiled deviously. "And, most likely a loved one, by appearance at that.

"When Kuchiki-taichō informed him of his idleness, Socrius-kun's reiatsu flared, as if uncontrollable, as he found himself in the unfamiliar place. He lashed out at Kuchiki-taichō, calling you and Kuchiki like his arguing parents. But, he didn't say anything about his mother when his reiatsu signature copy was present."

Unohana absorbed the explanations, then opened her mouth to speak. "W-what makes you say 'mother'? Couldn't his father's figure be his Zanpakutō spirit's form?"

Kurotsuchi's smile grew. "Ah, he said nothing of his parents when Kuchiki-taichō was arguing of you. None of his parents' forms are the appearance of Shionari. No, it is a past crush, or as the humans call 'an ex-girlfriend' or some of the like. Unless he's gay or bisexual of course, but that is beside the point; we attribute all souls are straight. There are two conclusions, yet they are not contradictions.

"One; Kai has had a mental breakdown because of meeting someone whom reminded him of his 'ex-girlfriend'.

"Two; he knows not about his Zanpakutō's gender. Shionari is a woman, and she happens to look like Kai's 'ex'... or some other close individual."

* * *

><p>"Hibiscus-san," Unohana said. "Do you recall meeting Socrius Kai of the Sixth Division today?"<p>

"I separated him and Tsubasa Daichi from fighting one another. Tsubasa was the aggressor, while Kai showed no style of aggressive self-defense."

"How was Socrius-kun back then? Did he seem emotionally stable?"

"He was disturbed from the fight, I'm sure. He didn't understand the rules clearly, and I re-informed him to ease his confusion." Unohana closed her eyes. She was able to convince Anson to leave the room so she would be able to have the private conversation concerning Kai. He was still at Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho, but his artificial coma had not been lifted. "Unohana-taichō?"

"That is all," the Fourth Division Captain said. She stood up and made for the door, passing a worried-looking Anson, whom was leaning against the wall.

"Indeed strange," Anson said.

"Psychological illnesses are the worst to deal with," Unohana said, "especially with amnesia of death. It's almost as confusing as having amnesia of marriage or something." She sighed.

Anson hummed to himself. "It is disturbing. For some reason, I can't think straight. Even holding the title of Fifth Captain, I should have the insight that parallels Kurotsuchi and Yamamoto-sotaichō..." He shook his head. "We have to somehow bring back what he had forgotten. Damn dissociative disorders."

"Damning things won't reverse the effects," Unohana chided. "It would be better not to befoul the air with language."

"I suppose you're right," Anson said, lifting himself from the wall. "He's physically stable though, is he?"

Unohana started walking, outside, then the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho. "He's in artificial sleep. The only one that can save Socrius-kun is his Zanpakutō... and his own conscience."

Anson trailed after her. "Well, let's just hope his Zanpakutō and conscience win."

* * *

><p>Anson walked into the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho, entering the emergency room after Unohana. Kurotsuchi was leaning against a wall, his eyes flitting from the cardiogram and Kai's Zanpakutō. "There has been no movement," he said. "His heart rate and Zanpakutō are perfectly normal; damned specimens are hard to come by..."<p>

"This is a hospital, not a specimens lab," Unohana said. "I would rather you not cut up healthy souls either."

Kurotsuchi exhaled sharply and made his way out of the emergency room. Anson turned his head toward the younger Shinigami. "What exactly happened, anyway?" he asked, nodding at Kai's form.

"He's been remembering his past life. We would have been able to treat him normally, but the memories seem to be very traumatic. We thought it may have had something to do with Hibiscus-san, but it turned out to be irrelevant."

Anson hummed to himself. He wondered if he had something to do with it, but it couldn't be. No, his Zanpakutō release during his Captains' Proficiency Test couldn't have caused some disruption that caused this to happen...

* * *

><p><em>Anson walked into Captain Yamamoto's room, where Unohana and Byakuya were sitting on cushions, with Yamamoto sitting at his desk. The old Shinigami cracked open an eye before immediately closing it. Anson lowered his reiatsu; the previous four tests of Zanjutsu, Kidō, Hohō, and Hakuda took a toll on his body and left him nervous for the last test. No, it wasn't that he didn't know what it was, but what he would do.<em>

_"Raynes-san," Yamamoto said with his deep voice, "you have passed as 'advanced' in all four forms of Zankensoki. For that, you are guaranteed the position of Fifth Captain. In my opinion, I would say you have done better than Aizen himself..." Yamamoto coughed, while Anson's face showed no change. There was no surprise; it was merely a replay, only with lower margins._

_"I appreciate your words, Yamamoto-sotaichō," Anson commented. "One of my goals, if not every one of the Gotei Thirteen's goals, was to surpass Aizen. It tells me I have improved over the years." When Yamamoto nodded, Anson suppressed a smile._

_"And now comes the most straightforwar__d requisite of the Captain's Proficiency Test. Raynes Anson, demonstrate to us your _Bankai_."_

_Anson had thought this out already. He unsheathed his blade and whispered the name in his head, his lips moving to form words yet not saying the name out loud. The only word he said was the initial release: "Ban...kai." His Zanpakutō, almost three feet long, faded away and became invisible._

_"What is the name of your Bankai?" Yamamoto asked. "You did not manage to say the name, yet it seems only your Zanpakutō changed." Anson turned to Byakuya, whom seemed to have slowed down. The noble blinked, which took nearly two seconds to complete._

_"My Zanpakutō and I are in complete unison with one another," Anson explained. "Given our same goals, I do not need to speak its name to release it, Shikai or Bankai."_

_"What is the name of your Bankai?" Yamamoto asked again._

"Jikan no Uranaishi_," Anson replied, turning to Byakuya. "Thank you," he said, and time suddenly became sped up that Byakuya seemed to catch up with time. "I__ apologize, Kuchiki-taichō, for demonstrating my Bankai effects without your permission."_

_"It was a new feeling," Byakuya said. "But I wish to be alerted ahead of time, if this were to happen again."_

_Anson smiled at Byakuya, as if he were accepting the t__erms. "Allow me to explain: _Jikan no Uranaishi_, allows me to manipulate time. To be honest, I do not know how I came to be in possession of a powerful Zanpakutō spirit's power; to bend time._

_"It can be used on a single target, or myself. When used on an enemy, they are slowed down in time, in which they experience people moving much faster than them. When used on myself, I move faster than the current time frame, which makes me appear I am moving faster than sound. If I were to shunpo while in the self-enhancement 'Bankai state', I would describe it as 'Shunpo to those who are performing Shunpo'. In other words, I am incredibly fast._

_"But there is one thing to remember; even though you are slowed, you still retain your force of attack. I already had an experience with Zaraki-taichō, where I needed to use Bankai in an effort to save an Eleventh Division member. But, being headstrong, that member is some ten feet under the surface of Seireitei; his current state is unknown to me." Anson sighed as he recalled his Zanpakutō into its sealed state and sheathed it._

_Yamamoto lowered his head in thought. "It is forbidden to use Kidō that manipulate time and space," he said. "The same should be said with Zanpakutō. Therefore, Raynes-taichō, you are only able to release your Bankai during circumstances which require your secret power. For any menial purposes, it will not be allowed."_

_"Taichō...?" Anson asked, a bit surprised. Yamamoto, Byakuya, and Unohana rose up to their feet, while Yamamoto presented Anson with a folded article of clothing. On it, there was a rhombus, the insignia of the Gotei Thirteen, with the Kanji of five in the middle. "Raynes-taichō, congratulations. You are now, until your life is taken and be reborn as a new person, the Captain of the Fifth Division. Bear it with honor."_

_Anson took the haori with both hands and bowed. "Thank you, Yamamoto-sotaichō. I appreciate your words." He unfolded it and slipped his arms through the armholes; a sleeveless version of the haori. Byakuya approached Anson first. "Congratulations," he said, shaking Anson's hand firmly._

_"Thank you, Kuchiki-taichō."_

_"Do well in your new position, former Third Seat," Unohana commented. "A Captain's job is much harder than any other seated rank."_

_"I shall keep that in mind." Anson turned to leave the room, but stopped and whispered something to himself._

_"Step one, complete."_

* * *

><p>That little slow on Byakuya couldn't have tampered with Kai; his reiatsu couldn't have spread from Byakuya to Kai. Their proximity was too far. Anson put a hand to his forehead and shook his head in protest. No, this was not supposed to happen.<p>

"Is there any change in his Reiatsu composition?" Anson asked.

"There isn't," said a medical supervisor. "Besides, his ability to leech an enemy's Reiryoku with his Zanpakutō doesn't absorb the Reiryoku and mixes in with his own; so that fight with the Menos in Fremont couldn't possibly cause the memory lapse.

Anson clenched his teeth. "What is going on inside his mind?" Unohana glanced at the Fifth Division Captain. "Is he still talking to Shionari?"

"Well, since Socrius-san doesn't know the procedure with Jinzen anymore and he could withdraw from the contact at any time, we had to make a hard link with the blade and his mind. It isn't something we do for anyone, and the Twelfth Division says it is imperfect. They claimed a twenty-three percent of failed contact or a severed connection." The supervisor glanced at the cardiogram and adjusted his glasses. "Apparently, there is a good connection with the hard link, but we don't seem to be going anywhere. If you wish, I can transliterate their conversation, but..."

"But what?" demanded Unohana.

"Never mind; irrelevant. I was about to say something about privacy." The supervisor handed Anson a pair of headphones. "It's connected directly in between the connections of Socrius-san and Shionari, so you'll be able to hear both of their words." Anson took the headphones and set them over his ears.

* * *

><p><em>"What could I forget what I have not experienced?" I said. "You speak as though you know what happened to me, like I am dead or something."<em>

I am your Zanpakutō!_ Shionari argued. _Of course I know what is going on! You did die; you were then admitted into Soul Society by Kuchiki-taichō. You graduated from Shino Academy upon calling my name! You are the Seventh Seat of the Sixth Division, and my Shinigami master. You can't possibly have forgotten what had happened over the past year and a half!

_"Well, I have no recollection of the events!" I said. "What, is this an anime that you call me a 'death god', with a serpent water dragon like you as a sword power or something? What are you trying to tell me; that I am dead yet still alive?"_

Wait... _I thought,_ those words... I remember saying them once... but when was that...? _In my trance, I felt something whip-like lash at my back, causing me to fly forward. I caught a glimpse of my reflection before plunging underwater. I wasn't w__earing a usual blue attire, but a black kimono, white sash, and straw sandals. Japanese clothing._

_My first instinct was to pedal out of the water, but I was suddenly bound as if by a boa constrictor. I saw the outline of Shionari against the water, its body coiling around my frame. I could no longer hold my breath and my mind started to black out._

Breathe, _said Shionari. That alone made me gasp, but I could still breathe as if i were on land. That's when the memories started to flow into my head._

_Byakuya and my Konsō. Living in Rukongai Sixty-Eight East. The Skink Hollow. Shino Academy and Brandon. The Konsō trip and defeating a Menos Grande with an asauchi. Graduation, finally releasing my Shikai, and the failed surprise at the Sixth Division Barracks. Learning Jinzen from Byakuya. Going around buying Shinigami necessities. Fremont and the two Menos Grande. My demotion from Sixth Seat to Seventh. Anson and Kenpachi fighting. The Messenger's appearance. Anson's rise to becoming a Captain of the Fifth Division. Tsubasa's onslaught on me. My meeting with Hibiscus Rosche. All those events I had forgotten. My eyes glazed and I blanked out once more._

* * *

><p><em>Are you sure you are back to us? <em>Shionari asked. I was in a white room, on a bed surrounded my machinery. Wires stuck out from my head, some connecting to the sword beside me, others connecting to machinery.

"I think I'm okay now," I said, turning to the aqueous serpent. "I realized something about my life..." I turned to see two Captains in front of the door; Unohana and Anson. "Why are you two here?!" I heard myself scream.

"You're back to normal," Anson said triumphantly. "You missed out nearly a year and a half of your life, so what do you have to say?" Shionari dissipated from beside me.

"Nothing," I said. "Only that I remember now. What my brother told me when I was still alive." Anson raised an eyebrow. "It wasn't that I lost touch with Reality; but that I was running away from it. And because of that, I was able to cry again." I smiled as I looked out the window, a tear rolling down my face. "All that time I was alive, I was wasting away myself. But no longer shall I allow it to pass me by. I control my future, and only I can stop myself."

I turned back to Anson, whom seemed to have a warm smile on his face. "It's still good to know you're back to normal," Unohana-taichō said. She walked over to my side and removed the suction cup wires. "Kuchiki-taichō was very worried over you. I haven't seen him so open toward someone."

"Zaraki-taichō is still probably harassing Kuchiki-taichō for that, isn't he? But then again, I personally think it's my fault Kuchiki-taichō is receiving this kind of treatment..."

"Zaraki-taichō only has strength," Unohana-taichō said. "Even if it is at a monstrous level, a smarter person will defeat the strongest brute. I'm sure that Kuchiki-taichō would have maimed Zaraki-taichō if the rules allowed him to."

I smiled again, wiping my eye because I felt something in it and that the tear irritated my eye. I turned to my Zanpakutō and picked it up, cradling it on my lap. "Sorry," I told Shionari. "I wasn't myself. It won't happen again." The sword seemed to brim with power in response. _Apology accepted._


	14. 13: Formation

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part II: Shinigami Arc**

**Chapter 13: Formation**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These ****characters (and ****Zanpakutō ****if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>It was the following day when I was admitted out of Sōgō Kyugō Tsumesho. After a few checkups on my reiatsu, I was then able to leave. I didn't know where to go at first; so I just went to the Sixth Division barracks. It was the only place where I knew I had something to do. I felt resentment as I approached the barracks steps. <em>He<em> had hit me.

But, then again, I wasn't aware of what I was doing. I called him something I wouldn't normally say. I just wondered how Byakuya felt; probably very disturbed; since he did treat me somewhat more kindly than others. I walked forward, into the Seireitei streets. I walked southward, all the while thinking about what I should say. An apology, of course, but should I also talk about what had occurred when I was gone.

I don't know. There was still the feeling that I didn't understand the things I did. I wondered if there was something to change that; everything seemed so foreign, even the words I chose seemed different, as if another word should replace that word... and another... and another... and yet another. Ahh, that tangent.

I found myself almost walking past the Sixth Division barracks. I entered the gates and looked inside the lobby room, but no one seemed to be inside. I stepped inside, half-expecting Daichi to trip me or something. I cautiously put a foot in and set it on the wooden floor. Nothing. I walked in and flipped the lights. No one was in the lobby; it was as if everyone was gone for some occasion.

"Hello!" I called out. Shionari materialized next to me, his serpent body quickly scanning the premises. _They all seemed to have gone for some event or something_, he said. _Whatever it is, you may have missed out on something big._

"Probably..." My voice trailed off. I headed up the stairs, Shionari trailing behind me, his movements making it appear so that the air seemed to be water rather than air.

I climbed to the second floor of the barracks and again called "hello". No one answered. There was no need to go knocking on the individual doors; everyone was gone already. No one was allowed to stay in their rooms for long periods of time. If someone hadn't been seen for a while, the rules stated a week, a surveillance Jigokuchō was sent to the Shinigami's room. If they were there, they were to face dire consequences.

I briefly entered my room. It was the mess that had been left; a few papers and informational books lay on the ground, the bed wasn't made, and a few clean shihakusho uniforms lay on the floor. I sighed as I picked up the papers and books and neatly placed them back on the desk. I took the fallen uniforms, dusted them off, and hung them back in the closet. I made the bed by snapping the end hems of the covers and draping it on the bed carefully. I watched the cloth fall and smoothed out the pillow. There. That looks less of what a pig may live in.

I absolutely hated rooms with misplaced things. When I was alive, I had a little brother whom absolutely could not, or would not, keep his room tidy. I hated the way his room looked, and I guess imagining it made me tired. I sighed before looking over the room one last time before leaving, closing the door behind me, and locking it behind me.

A Shinigami ran past me, making me nearly lose my balance. "Sorry," he said, "but Yamamoto-sotaichō ordered that all able-bodied Shinigami are to report to Rukongai District 80 West! You should get going... I don't want to let them know that I have been sleeping through the announcement!" He shunpo'ed away, leaving me alone with Shionari.

_We should hurry,_ Shionari merely said before dissipating away, his reiatsu transferring toward the sword. I huffed before preparing a shunpo and sped toward the Hakutōmon. I quickly overtook the Shinigami whom left before me. I looked around, watching the landscape pass under me.

At around District 78 West, I saw the gathering of the Shinigami. It was nearly eight miles away, yet I could still get a good glimpse of the multitude of Shinigami. In the midst, I could make out Byakuya, his white haori standing out among the waves of black. Rainbows reflected off the translucent Dankū barriers. It was a few seconds until I arrived into the blockade area. The area was packed with people, but that meant no one at Soul Society...

"Kuchiki-taichō!" I called, running up to my Captain. He almost immediately turned into my direction, but his face didn't change; still serious. "Kuchiki-taichō, how are you?"

"Instead, we should focus at the task at hand," Byakuya said. "This is unimportant at the moment." I was somewhat appalled at his response, but I guess it was true; since four days ago, the Soul Society and the Realm of the Hollows were officially at war.

"Here they come!" A Kidō Corps member shouted. There was a wind, but the Dankū barriers held strong. "Looks like their forces have gotten weaker!"

"Do not underestimate them!" Yamamoto ordered. "If we even have but a small seed of cockiness, we shall fall in battle." There was a series of howls and the barriers seemed to bend again before shattering.

"We apologize, Head-Captain," the Kidō Corps members said, jumping back from the impact. "But the Hollows' Reiryoku seem to be diminished; it seems they have gotten weaker..."

"Or there's just fewer of them," Anson's voice chimed in.

"Very good observation," said the voice of the Messenger. The white, spiked mask appeared into view, his scythe at his back. The Messenger let out a gloved hand. "However, these invasions shall keep happening, once your faction of 'Visoreds' are eradicated; killed. If there is any resistance, we shall continue this war. I shall be waiting at Rukongai North, and if Aikawa Love, Mashiro Kuna, Sakuragi Hiyori, Ushōda Hachigen, and Yadōmaru Lisa are not at the designated area, Soul Society will only be the next expansion of the Hollow Realm. The time I shall start attacking is already on your desk, Yamamoto-sotaichō." The Messenger stepped back, the Hollows behind him apparently following the figure into retreat.

"We brought everyone out for nothing," Anson said with a sigh. "Yamamoto-sotaichō, I was expecting one of those large-scale war scenes, soldiers being pitted against an enemy army of the same ferocity."

"We won't be having one of those for a while," Yamamoto answered. "The Gotei Thirteen have fewer numbers right now, and so we cannot have, what you call, full-sized battles. And I do not know why he left the proposal on my desk when he could have sent multiple Menos Hollows to destroy our capital..." Yamamoto turned to face the gathering of Shinigami. "Return to Seireitei! We are finished here." The majority of the company turned and started back toward Seireitei. I caught Yamamoto and Anson staying behind, and I listened to their words.

"It's probably a matter of pride. But what are you going to do, Yamamoto-sotaichō?" Anson asked inquiringly. "Are you going to give up the remaining Visoreds? Just like that?"

"We will somehow have to stop the war on Seireitei," Yamamoto said. "Just find some way to prevent the imbalance of Spirits and Hollows... but my judgment seems clouded. I do not know what our action is."

"Either way, the other Visoreds will die; both by our hand."

"Is it better to give up four souls for the sake of thousands, if not millions and billions?" Yamamoto turned and glanced at me before shunpo'ing away.

"Etro," I heard Anson say, "what will the offering of the Visoreds bring? Harmony... or that inevitable chaos? This is one predicament that one wishes to correct, but I need further guidance. Show me, show Seireitei, the path to take. Unless you wish to take matters into your own hands." Anson bowed his head, not moving.

Thinking that he had gone crazy, I began starting the shunpo journey back to Seireitei.

* * *

><p>I entered Byakuya's office again, closing the door behind me. I lowered my head as I faced him, although he was staring out a window. "Kuchiki-taichō," I started, "about earlier today... I want to apologize for my actions. Apparently, I wasn't aware, or I had forgotten, of my existence as a Shinigami, and thus I wish to seek your forgiveness."<p>

Byakuya was silent. His head turned a little to the right, as if looking upon Sōkyoku Hill. "You may leave," he said. I exited his office, leaving me to wonder whether I was forgiven or not.

_Then, I thought of Brandon_. It had surely been a while since I left Shino, and I hadn't contacted him in any way since. He could be waiting at Sōkyoku Hill and Kuchiki-taichō was looking there because of him. I decided that my rounds at Sixty-Eight East started tomorrow, and I will just wait at Sōkyoku Hill for a while. If not, I might as well just walk around Seireitei for a while.

I shunpo'ed over buildings and stopped near the base of Sōkyoku Hill, where I saw Brandon preparing for another Shunpo step. "Brandon!" I called.

"Kai?" he stopped, then jumped over to me. "What are you doing here?"

"Ahh, taking a break from my rounds," I said. There was no need to worry him about my previous problems. "Anyways, what were you going to Sōkyoku Hill for?"

"Doing your little self-training exercise. The class is all into this history stuff right now, about Yamamoto-sotaichō being the one who assembled Shino Academy, all the way to Aizen and his 'Hōgyoku' project." Brandon looked down at his Asauchi. "Thing is, there hasn't been a voice for my Zanpakutō yet."

"I'm sure you'll be able to meet it sooner or later." As I finished saying the words, we turned our heads up as we heard the voice of someone; on top of Sōkyoku Hill:

"Hear me, you worthless souls! All of your lives are meaningless compared to mine! Therefore, you all shall bow before me!"

"What kind of person has _that_ ego?" I asked Brandon. "He seems to be one arrogant person."

"Shut up, Jorden!" yelled a familiar voice, "I'm trying to find some quiet place and you come preaching about your supposed awesomeness!"

"You think that was the person Ounabara-sensei was talking about last year; the one about causing disruption in Seireitei?"

"They were Academy Students being disruptive. Apparently, I've heard the other voice before; so the one 'preaching' must be a Seated or Unseated Shinigami." I jumped up toward the ledge of Sōkyoku Hill, seeing a person, a guy, with a curled mess of hair, darkened eyes, and a thin build. Behind him sat Rosche, whom had a pencil in hand with a notebook. Pencil and notebook?

"Gah!" cried the guy, jumping back dramatically, "this underling is resisting my power!"

"Shut up Jorden! With you yelling all the time, it's hard for me to come up with plot ideas!" Rosche, whom hadn't looked up yet, huffed in irritation. "Now you just made me forget what I was going to write, stupid idiot... you're starting to be worse than how _Anson_ even annoys me to no end."

"You aren't an Academy Student," I said, pointing at the guy; Jorden, I thought. "Yet you're very distracting."

"Thank you!" Rosche called, finally looking up. "Now tell... oh, it's Socrius Kai." I did a single wave at her and looked back at Jorden.

"Spot's taken," Jorden said haughtily. "You can leave now."

"We'll leave if you can defeat me," I said, holding out my hand. "By the way you're sporting an Asauchi, I doubt you'll last." Jorden's eyes flashed with anger or fear, I couldn't tell.

"Yeah, Mr. Twentieth Seat!" Rosche called out again. "Looks like someone knows you can't even call out your Zanpakutō! Even so, your Japanese sucks so much to the point you probably can only get through three syllables before stumbling!" He's not speaking Japanese?

"Shut up Rosche!" Jorden glared at me, but I pushed past him.

"What are you writing?" I asked, turning my head to see the words. I only caught the title before she shifted so that I couldn't see the text._ A Frozen Requiem_. I thought about what the plot could have been, but went on a different path: "It's been a while since I've laid eyes on pencil and paper."

"You are the one who remembers living," Rosche said, "apparently, I have to use my Zanpakutō to carve the lead out of it when it snaps." She started writing again, only to have the tip of the pencil snap off and fly off, hitting my foot before it rolled out of sight. "Dammit," she cursed, drawing her Zanpakutō. She lifted the pencil to its head and scraped it against the blade of her Zanpakutō, wood shavings slowly curling off the wooden writing utensil. "And a lot of people told me that _Ticonderoga_ pencils don't break easily..."

"They don't," I said. "Buy mechanical pencils; much less frustrating. The world is all about _Pentel_ now. And I think they may have come out with the latest kind; twist erasers and the like."

Rosche stopped writing. "How much?"

"About two US dollars for one; don't know about Japanese currency. But they last a lifetime, as long as you have the pencil lead and the erasers for it."

"They're getting quite acquainted," Brandon said to Jorden.

"It's almost funny..." Jorden said. Their voices lowered to snickers about something I probably didn't know about, but Brandon burst out laughing.

"We're talking about pencil lead, and they're talking about pairing us," Rosche said with a frown.

"That happened in High School between me and my friends," I said, "one friend was out sick and I brought her the homework she missed. That's kind of how that started for me... World of the Living stuff."

Rosche nodded and started to write again, her pencil sharpened. "Kaminarino Hyōji hates it when I use him to sharpen pencils."

"Huh, I'll bet," I agreed. "What are you writing about in your 'Frozen Requiem'? All I can think of is that there's something with snow or ice."

"It's a short story I'm writing. I'm thinking to write, or finish a chapter every two weeks to submit into the _Seireitei Communication_. A lot of Shinigami have a little segment based on all of them; advice, crafts, past stories, problems, Q and A's, and all that. Just thought that it would be nice to write something up, probably give it to a publisher in the World of the Living." I looked up into the sky. "I don't know much of my past life... but all I knew was that I was lying on the ground of Rukongai District Sixty-Eight East... with a pencil clutched in my hand. No idea where it came from, but all I wanted to do every day was writing."

I blinked. Rukongai Sixty-Eight East? "That's... my District..." I said softly.

"What?" Rosche asked, confused.

"Have you been writing ever since?" I asked. "Where are your other stories?"

"Scrapped," Rosche said. "I was literate, unlike the other souls. The other literates laughed when they read my work, saying that I was stupid for thinking up all of that crap." Her voice rose at that last word.

"So why writing again...?" I asked, somewhat disturbed.

"I've gotten some positive criticism from someone." She glanced away from the notebook for a while. Anson had appeared in her field of vision, causing her to jump.

"Yo, Third Seat!" Anson called clapping his hand on her head. Rosche seemed to redden before she flung his hand off her head, stood up, and socked him in the shoulder. "God-damn!" His teeth were clenched for a few seconds. "I was just gonna tell you that I'm going away for something and that Hinamori is in charge..." Anson sighed and regained his composure, rubbing the place of contact. "Anyway, I'll be leaving." He looked around. "Some new friends you made. Shame you've met Jorden though; he has this loli obsession I have to deal with every day, since he joined a few weeks ago." He turned, waved, then headed to the Kokuryōmon in the North.

"I wonder how the other Visoreds are going to be judged..." I sighed. "It's not going to be war or anything, is it? Because I do not wish to have anything to do with it; that I could finally live how I want. Life shouldn't always be filled with conflicts."

"There's always someone or some group of people who want to destroy Soul Society. It's inescapable, and the Hollow Kingdom actually has a good reason."

I sighed and laid my head back, resting it on my arms. "True. But do you think war is justified? Are having a few Arrancars and Visoreds in the world such a big deal?" I heard a little crumple of paper, and I noticed Rosche's hand was tense. "Is something wrong?"

"No." She looked away, and then tried to flatten the piece of paper. "I just had a little thought."

I took a breath before staring up into the sky. "I wonder how my brother is doing in the World of the Living. He's living by himself, and I don't know what's happening there; I no longer watch my hometown."

"I'm sure the replacement Shinigami will help your brother," Rosche said, the _scritch scr__itch_ of her pencil periodically sounding as she wrote. "Besides, he won't be hurt by the Hollows; he's probably spiritually deficient, like the other ninety or so percent of the world's population."

"But you never know." There was a Hollow's scream right above us, and Rosche merely took her left hand, unsheathed her Zanpakutō, released its Shikai, and flicked the plasma whip at the Hollow, causing it to fade in the portal it tried to enter through. She then sealed the Zanpakutō and re-sheathed it; all this while her right hand was still writing. I raised an eyebrow in skepticism.

"It was loud, and I dealt with it," Rosche merely stated. I felt my eyes close, and I had no recollection what had happened.

_Kai..._

_Hello? Anyone there?_

_Kai! Wake up!_

There was a sharp rap on my knee, and I bolted awake. "Gah! You didn't have to hit so hard!" I rubbed my knee.

"You've been out since I called you a half-minute ago," Rosche said. Brandon had left, and Jorden was sitting, legs crossed, under a white tree. "Anyways, there's a Jigokuchō with a message for you." I turned to the butterfly.

_Kuchiki-taichō has been incapacitated, and is currently at Sōgō Kyugō Tsumesho. Treatment has already administered, but I wanted to inform you of his current status, and that Abara__i-fukutaichō will be in charge until Kuchiki-taichō can perform his duties. That is all._ The butterfly flew away, toward south.

"That's your captain," Rosche said. "Incapacitated? I doubt anyone could catch Kuchiki-taichō and wound him so badly."

"Something tells me he wasn't hurt by anyone; or at least intentionally," I said. "I'll see you later; I'm going to see how he's doing. I'll talk to you later. I shunpo'ed towards Sōgō Kyugō Tsumesho without awaiting another word from Rosche.

* * *

><p>"How's he doing?" Anson asked as he burst through the patient's room. He was surprised that all of the captains were present. A red-haired man stood at Byakuya's right, Abarai Renji, his lieutenant.<p>

"His reiatsu composition seems confused," Unohana said. "I have no idea why, but there is a signature that the archives don't have a record for. All I can vouch is that there is no Hollow reiatsu in his system." She looked over at Byakuya's Zanpakutō. "Apparently, Senbonzakura is being very passive about his master. He's not replying to anyone."

"To lose such a captain would lower our defenses," Ukitake muttered. "How long will it take for him to recover?"

"A few days." Unohana sighed. "And with that, we have lost our superpower; his reach with Senbonzakura would surely turn the tide for us if an invasion were to happen."

Anson stepped forward. "Allow me." Anson drew his Zanpakutō and held it in front of himself. "Unohana-taichō, do whatever you must. Just trust me on this." Anson glanced at Yamamoto, whom cracked open an eye and gave an inconspicuous nod. Anson took a deep breath and stood still for a second. "Bankai."

Suddenly, Unohana started to stumble, only to fall in Ukitake's hands. "What...?" he started to say, only to find no words exit his mouth. The cardiogram spiked to the top of the monitor, only to return to the normal blueprint. Anson took another deep breath as he sheathed his sword.

"They're both only sleeping now; they'll be up by tomorrow morning. Yamamoto-sotaichō, I'm going to retire. Using my Bankai to such an extent puts a great toll on me." Yamamoto nodded. Anson walked out of the room, taking small steps. When he closed the door behind him, he returned to his usual stride, a smile on his face. "Well, I didn't plan on _that_ happening. I'm using you too much, aren't I... Jikan no Uranaishi?"

* * *

><p>I passed Anson in the streets of Seireitei, just walking around a corner. "Kuchiki-taichō is resting right now. Don't be too loud."<p>

I glanced at him, almost thinking I saw a bit of solemnity in his face. Probably just me seeing things, I concluded. "Wait," he said. I turned to see him walk up to me again. "Socrius, was it?" I nodded. "I saw you with Rosche. Anyway, I want you to pass this message to her; the next few days are going to be busy for me. Except for Yamamoto-sotaichō, Kuchiki-taichō, and Unohana-taichō, all the other captains will be keeping an eye me. Go tell her for me, will you?"

I nodded. He smiled before shunpo'ing away. I shrugged as I continued my run toward Sōgō Kyugō Tsumesho, shielding my eyes as the evening sun glared in my eyes. I continued forward, catching the other eleven captains disperse over the rooftops of Seireitei buildings.

It was a few minutes until I arrived at the infirmary. I traced the Reiatsu signature of Byakuya, weaving in through the halls while tracing the Reiryoku ribbon; something Brandon had taught me when he managed to catch up with me.

I stopped outside the supposed door, hearing a suppressed crying sound. It sounded like a girl's quiet crying, with the repeated message of "I'm not supposed to cry..." and "It's okay to cry right now". Two people; three including Byakuya. I opened the door slowly, seeing a tall orange haired teenager; somewhere towering around six foot or so. However, a much shorter raven-haired girl, a darker sheen than Byakuya's, stood in front of the male teen, her eyes a bit puffy, probably from crying.

Couple? I asked, noticing the hands on the girl's shoulders. And there was something I did not understand... so maybe I should go?

"Do you know what happened?" called the male teen. "You, at the door." I looked up and turned, walking into the room.

"No. The captains went somewhere, in the north, and had to forfeit the remaining four Visoreds. I don't know what happened." I looked at Byakuya and the cardiogram, noticing that his face was calm and the cardiogram was following the predicted heartbeat line. "Anyway, I'm Socrius Kai; Sixth Division, Seventh Seat."

The girl had just stopped crying and had taken a seat next to the bed. The male glanced at a clock; around seven-twenty-five in the evening, and sighed. "Dammit, Dad's probably gonna kick me when I get home. And now I have to explain why his adopted 'third daughter' isn't home with me..." He sighed as he turned to leave. "Kurosaki Ichigo, Substitute Shinigami. As for her... she's the Thirteenth Division Lieutenant, Kuchiki Rukia. Guess you can already tell she's Byakuya's sister. Anyways, good night." And out the door he went.

"Strange guy," I muttered. "He didn't even bother to address Kuchiki-taichō correctly. And what crude language..." I turned to Byakuya again, then at Rukia. Her eyes were concentrated on her brother, her eyes dry of tears. "Wish I knew what happened," I offered. "Ukitake-taichō probably does; he might tell you if you ask."

"I've spent most of my time in the World of the Living," she said softly. "I neglected my duty and my brother."

"I'm sure he'll be fine tomorrow morning. Anyways, where does Kurosaki-san live?"

"Karakura," she said. "Japan."

I softly took a breath. I was about to walk out when I realized something; wasn't that _the_ Kurosaki Ichigo who saved Soul Society multiple times? "Hey..." I said. "Is he the one who defeated Aizen about two years ago?" Rukia bobbed her head once, as if in affirmation. I wasn't sure what to say next. "He'll be fine," I said. "He's probably just sleeping; like it's nighttime. He'll be up in the morning, and tell you all about it."

Rukia dipped her head, no response. It's useless staying here then. I'm getting tired too. "Well, I guess I'll be off." I took one last look at the cardiogram. _Stable, release date: tomorrow (updated 1 hour 12 minutes ago)_.

"Tomorrow... I hope there isn't anything until then," I told myself. "Late night invasion would be horribly wrong right now." I put the thought aside as I exited the building and shunpo'ed toward the Sixth Division Barracks.

One thing surprised me as I entered the building; Tsubasa Daichi was nowhere in sight. Where could he be?


	15. 14: A Hostage Taken

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part II: Shinigami Arc**

**Chapter 14: A Hostage Taken**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. ****These characters (and ****Zanpakutō ****if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p><em>I was walking down a countryside highway. There were no cars in sight in either way, north or south. To my right was the sea, bright and blue, the sun barely hovering over it. It was most likely morning, but I might have thought it was evening, I didn't know. To my left was a green grassy hill; the wind swaying the tall grass. It was nice out; I looked up into the sky, seeing clouds full of objects; birds, castles, dragons, and other things. My phone was playing "One More Time" from Byosoku Five Centimeter. I could never tire of that song.<em>

_It got to the part about "searching everywhere for you" when I noticed a break in the swaying grass. I strayed from the road, finding Rosche, in her Shinigami uniform, lying there. She was lying on her front when I approached her. Everything flickered as I turned her over, and it was no longer a field I was in, but a rundown avenue of Rukongai Eighty; I was unsure which direction. However, it wasn't the transformation that frightened me; instead, it was what had happened to her._

_There were bruises on her face, and multiple cuts on her arms and hands; some of the wounds still fresh with blood. A waraji sandal was missing, and her Zanpakutō, Kaminarino Hyōji, was lying on the ground, several feet away. Her shihakusho was tattered, cut in different places. I lifted her upright and noticed a large gash in her side, still oozing blood. I staunched the open wounds I found with a Kidō spell, and then looked around. She had been obviously fighting someone, but whoever it was, he or she couldn't be far. I set her in a sitting position and hoisted her onto my back, carrying her piggy-back style. I moved her arms around my neck, to my chest, using my other arms to hold her up from her legs by her knees. Rukongai 80 was a dangerous place to be; no civilization in sight. I walked over to her Zanpakutō and picked it up, holding onto it before walking away._

_I felt her faint breath against my neck; hot and almost sounding like a death rattle. I felt another reiatsu's presence, turning to my side. I saw Anson approaching me, yelling something I could not hear. He then disappeared from my sight, the sound of metal instantly following. Anson shouted something again, and I shunpo'ed away; not knowing who had tried to attack me. I ran away, only to wake up as I heard Rosche cough. My neck had become wet, and from the corner of my eye, I saw blood on the shoulder area of my shihakusho._

* * *

><p>My eyes snapped open from the dream, nightmare, or vision; I was unsure which. I reached over the left nape of my neck, feeling that sweat had accumulated there. <em>It wasn't real,<em> I assured myself. But something puzzled me; why did I dream of Rosche? And why did I dream of Anson? I had only just met them, so I couldn't have had such a clear rendition of them in my memory. I sighed as I threw off the covers and changed into my uniform. _Did I need the change of venue?_ I asked myself. _I highly doubt that they even announced that I was chan__ged... just to make sure, I should check with the Ninth Division; they are the head of security, and so should be in charge of patrols._

I slipped on the waraji sandals and tied Shionari to my belt. _The waves were growing a bit high,_ Shionari commented, materializing behind me. _What happened?_

"A weird dream. I didn't know what was going on either; but it's still clear in my mind. It seemed important enough to write down..." I made a detour to my desk and took a quill and ink bottle. I scratched every word onto a piece of parchment. I finished just as I spotted the box, about five days left unopened. _I should go to the World of the Living and buy a few supplies. Maybe even get something to eat, kind of getting an appetite for something. _I finally tore the box open and uncovered another box, which left me clueless and annoyed at the same time. However, this box actually said something: "Portable Gigai. Blow it up like a balloon and it becomes a human copy of you! Product of Urahara Shōten." I opened up the box and revealed what seemed like a black, flattened balloon. I took the balloon out of its container and stuffed it inside a pocket inside my shihakusho.

I exited my room door and locked it behind me. I passed a few Shinigami whom were exiting their rooms as well, acknowledging them with a nod, as in "good morning". Patrols only woke up this early; before sunrise. I didn't see Tsubasa anywhere; both good and bad. I was free from his constant harassment, yet it made the environment a bit less... intimidating and exciting. _Where could that guy be?_

I exited the barracks, started toward northeast, but held closer to north. The Ninth Division was near the base of Sōkyoku Hill, and lying eastward; a great place to be since I was familiar with the path to Sōkyoku Hill and that I was headed east later on. The streets below me were near empty, save for a few street kiosks. It was peaceful during this time; something I liked about the morning.

I stopped outside the Ninth Division gates, walking inside the courtyard and weaving to the right in front of a chart. I searched through the alphabetically sorted chart for my name. I was a bit surprised when it read: _Socrius Kai: Pending Location_. No space for me to patrol. I sighed. _Looks like I can take this opport__unity to go to the World of the Living._ I shunpo'ed away from the Ninth Division barracks, back into the streets.

I unsheathed Shionari and thrust it into the air in front of me. The blade disappeared, faded into the air, as if I had punctured another void. A Senkaimon door appeared into existence, opening when I twisted Shionari ninety degrees to the left. A Jigokuchō, my 'red-wing', fluttered out from the blinding light. "Fremont," I said. "A Wal-Mart if possible." I entered the Senkaimon, following the butterfly through the Precipice World. The Jigokuchō stopped at another door, which slid open as I approached it.

Outside, I saw the buildings' roofs of the suburban area, and saw that I was overlooking a shopping complex. "Ahh, I guess butterflies don't know the difference between Wal-Mart and Target..." I rubbed forehead before going down into the street. I took out the portable Gigai balloon, noticing it had a tag on its mouthpiece.

_"Warning! The Gigai you are about to use does not possess clothes of its own. You must acquire clothes yourself."_

"That's bullshit," I muttered, then glided down to the streets. I was in spirit form, so none of the passersby noticed a sixteen-year old kid walking around in a black Japanese kimono with a sword. I turned around the familiar neighborhood as I made a detour toward my house.

I approached the house, noticing that there wasn't a car at the driveway. However, a light in the study room, if I was correct about the house's interior structure, was on and so indicated that my brother was home. I walked up to that window and looked inside; sure enough, he was delved in paperwork. Looks like he was able to get that senior artist position in that video game arts and effects industry... and is finally working like a try-hard.

I stole up to the second floor windows and passed through the wall, experiencing a moment of blackness as I phased through the wood and plaster. I kept a layer of Reishi under my feet until I reached the second floor balcony and entered my room. There was no lock on the door, anyway.

I was blasted with a fresh scent, as if the room hadn't been used in years. The room seemed to have been kept clean, as if my brother had gone through everything and tidied up the place in his spare time. On the desk, there was a picture; a self-portrait of me in a holding an English longsword into the air, albeit wearing Medieval age tunics. _That's __right;__ I used t__o help my brother with his work..._ I remembered. _Things are slowly coming back to me... hopefully without the hardships._ That was another thing I was a bit amazed in myself; a concept artist. Surely it wasn't as good as my brother's works, but I surely had a better mental visualization; my brother could only produce something with a material visualization, like a picture... but that was years ago.

I averted my attention away from the desk and brought out the portable Gigai. I blew it up, and about five puffs, there was a small burst of steam, revealing a half-naked human body, seemingly resembling me. I sighed as I held up the body and walked into it. There was a brief blackout, and I felt my movements become a little rigid. I opened an eye and noticed that I wasn't in my Shinigami clothes. I moved my limbs, exercising my mobility before I headed for the closet. I gathered together a set of clothing; T-shirt, jeans, and socks, technically throwing them on. I would have to go out and scavenge a pair of shoes or sandals, then buy a new pair.

I went over to a drawer and brought out the few books onto the desk, then lifted up at a small indent, revealing a small compartment. A plume of dust exploded in my face, causing me to have to stifle a few coughs. Definitely, my brother didn't know of this compartment, and it had been discovered over the summer of my high school sophomore year. I rubbed my eyes and picked up a red envelope; Chinese New Year money. I didn't remember why I had kept it there; maybe it was to buy something, although I forgot if it was for me or a present for someone else. I took out and counted the money: about a hundred dollars in cash. I took the money and pocketed it, replacing the red envelope in its dusty drawer. After closing the compartment's hatch, I blew around the area to scatter the dust.

I brought out the Gikongan, meh; Soul Candy, and flicked one of the green jawbreaker-like pellets and swallowed it. I felt my soul, literally, be forced out from the body, only to see the rendition of me standing in front of me. "O-," it started, only to have me clap my hand over its mouth.

"Don't say a word, unless you keep your voice low. A whisper is all I will tolerate right this moment." The Soul-inhabiting Gigai nodded calmly, and I removed my hand. One of my friends would have yelled once I had released my hand though, and wouldn't be too surprised if it happened. I brought out a Gokon Tekkō from my Shinigami pocket, admiring its sleek design. "Besides, there has to be no soul to deflate you, so I guess that Artificial Soul's coming out..." I whipped the glove across the Gigai's face, part to see if I really had to wear the glove over the glove already on my hand, or it just needed contact with a Soul-inhabiting body's skin.

Sure enough, the Gikongan pellet fell out of its mouth and crumpled into a displaced heap. Bah, clinically dead... I said as I checked a pulse for no reason. I pinched the portable Gigai, and it deflated into its balloon state. "If a Gokon Tekkō is unavailable, you can force the Gikongan out by flicking its forehead. To deflate your Gigai, make sure there is no soul in the Gigai, then pinch anywhere on the head." I pocketed the balloon once again, noticing that there were coins in my inside pocket. _So now currency __changes as I step in between bodies... kan turns to American dollars and cents in America; yen in Japan, euro in European Union Countries; and so on..._

I stepped through the glass window, phasing through the transparent sheet. I touched the ground and snatched a pair of sandals and stowed them in my Shinigami uniform before I started walking back to the Target. It was still a bit early, about nine o'clock or so, and so didn't have too many customers. I ducked to the side of the building and threw the sandals on the ground in front of me, then prepared the portable Gigai again. I entered the husk and slipped the sandals on, then looked around and stepped in through the doors of the Target, immediately greeted by a video camera feed that hung from the ceiling. I walked under the camera and fetched a shopping cart before I headed toward the clothes section. I usually won't go buy clothes... a blue vest might be all I want... maybe I'll need a pair of shoes to go along. I smiled at my memory of my old self, and my old attire.

It took a while to pick out a vest; one because there weren't many different types of articles of clothing to choose from in a store that literally sold everything from food to fishing poles. I felt a smile grace my face as I brought out one that looked like my old vest; blue, with a few streaks of light-blue and white. I dumped the clothing into the shopping cart basket. Then I walked to the aisle marked for office resources. I bought a few mechanical pencils, a sketchbook, and a notebook from there, which I set on top of the vest.

I set out to the shoes area, finding a size nine-and-a-half for boys; I had no idea how that would be measured in a men-sized shoe. I looked around for a shoe that had white and or blue on it, partly to somewhat match my old outfit and give me a sense of belonging again.

I walked back toward the cash registers and set the items on the conveyor belt. The cashier quickly passed the items over the laser-scanning pad. Vest, fourteen-ninety nine; sketchbook, six-ninety nine; notebook, two-fifty nine; mechanical pencils, four-thirty eight in all; shoes, thirty-sixty nine. _About __sixty__ dollars in all,_ I calculated, handing the cashier three twenty-dollar bills. The cashier handed me the bags of merchandise with the words "Thank you for shopping at Target". I received a few coins in change.

I exited the building and retreated to the same alleyway I had used to enter my Gigai. I pulled the tag off of the vest and on the shoes and put on the clothes. I finished by chucking the sandals in a garbage container. I used another Gikongan to separate my soul from my body. "I do not appreciate you using me so frivolously," the Gikongan said.

"Aw, 'kyu-kyu'," I said, flicking my Gigai's forehead and deftly catching the Gikongan pellet and placing it back inside the dispenser. I pinched the Gigai's cheek, which once again deflated it in its plume of smoke. I picked up the balloon and stowed it away in my kosode. I then unsheathed Shionari and held it perpendicular from my body and slowly slipped the sword into the air in front of me. It faded, and as I turned, a Senkaimon phased into existence, its doors revealing its bright light and my red-wing Jigokuchō. "Back to Seireitei," I told the butterfly.

_Of course,_ my Jigokuchō responded, hesitantly flapping its wings. I entered the light, appearing in the Precipice World again. The Jigokuchō took the sharp turns as I navigated through the bridges and finding the right door. My butterfly sat upon one door, flapping its wings thrice before flapping off and allowing the door to open. The Senkaimon opened in front of Sōgō Kyugō Tsumesho, which I hurried toward Byakuya's room. It was supposed to be around seven -thirty in the morning, so I guessed it was time that Byakuya should have woken up. I slowly entered the designated room, seeing Rukia sprawled on an empty area of the bed and Byakuya awake, apparently reading a book. He still seemed a bit tired, yet well.

"Good morning, Kuchiki-taichō," I said softly, closing the door behind me. He replied with a little nod with closed eyes. His eyes then darted to Rukia and he took one of the blankets and draped it over Rukia's shoulders. It must have not been long since he awoke. I approached him and sat in one of the chairs next to his cot. "...always flows, and shall never..." I read from his book before he turned the page.

Rukia stirred before raising her head from her arms. She seemed to look at me before rubbing her eyes, then at her brother. "Nii-sama..." she said. "You are well now?"

"Supposedly better," he replied without taking his eyes off the book. "I had a dream."

_Dream?_ "What kind?" Rukia asked. Byakuya was just about to speak when the door slammed open, causing a rack to fall to the ground. "Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, "this is a hospital! Be more careful!"

"Sorry," he replied sheepishly. "Anyways, Byakuya, if you can walk, old man Yamamoto wants to see you." Byakuya wordlessly closed his book, revealing its title; _End of Beginnings, Beginning of Ends_. As he stepped from the cot into his waraji sandals, I saw him pause.

_Invasive Hollows sighted in Rukongai Forty-Seven West,_ a Jigokuchō sentry alarmed, _estimated number of twenty Adjuchas Menos Hollows, the Messenger is present. Twenty Adjuchas Hollows have been sighted in Rukongai For__ty-Seven __North__, with Messenger present. All able Captain and Lieutenant Shinigami report to the site immediately._

"Hollows?" Ichigo said. "What're they doing here in Soul Society... and why Adjuchas?"

Byakuya gathered his shihakusho and put it on. "Hirako-taichō, Ōtoribashi-taichō, and Muguruma-taichō have been eliminated because of the Messengers," he said. "The Visoreds and Arrancars are experiencing something with their Hollow halves to become fully Hollow, and Hollow only."

"Why are they dead?!" Ichigo yelled. "Three Captains can't just go like that! And what about Hiyori, Hachi, Love, and Mashiro; so they know?!"

"New Fifth Captain, Raynes Anson, has informed Urahara to caution them. They were apparently hiding out in Karakura, and have already found shelter. You needn't worry about them; Urahara has implemented alarm systems to warn us if the Gigai have been destroyed or tampered with." Byakuya then put on his haori. "Rukia, get going. Lieutenants are required to go too." He opened a window, then tied Senbonzakura to his sash before disappearing out the window.

"Byakuya! You'll need all the help you can get!" Ichigo dashed to the window and shunpo'ed out as well.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called, but was too late as Ichigo was most likely out of earshot. "Dammit..." she cursed.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Before he lost his powers," Rukia said, "he was a Visored too." I felt surprised. "But... we don't know if his Hollow side had returned with his Shinigami powers..." Rukia shook her head and disappeared out the window as well, leaving me alone.

"That's it, I'm off to Sōkyoku Hill." I closed the window and walked out of Sōgō Kyugō Tsumesho through its front entrance.

* * *

><p>Ichigo jumped over the buildings' roofs, promptly headed due east. He jumped over the Shōryūmon, easily clearing the large walls with his Shunpo. He spotted Byakuya not too far away, and started to catch up with him. Byakuya suddenly veered to the left, whereas to Byakuya's right had suddenly exploded, and a large worm-like Hollow had appeared. Byakuya drew his Zanpakutō and pink waves converged upon the Hollow and became a pillar of blood before disappearing. <em>One of the Twenty,<em> Ichigo thought. _Less than nineteen to go... and then there's __this Messenger guy._

Ichigo spotted around twenty figures huddling around the edge of a rocky outcrop, swords drawn. He saw a small figure, possibly Tōshirō, fending off a reptilian, long-armed, Hollow. Zaraki was mercilessly pounding the ground, trying to effectively strike a mole Hollow while it dodged the strikes and popped up in holes around the Eleventh Captain.

A large Hollow resembling a serpent caught Ichigo's attention, whose eyes locked onto that of its new target. Ichigo moved his right hand to Zangetsu's hilt, its bandage-sheath quickly weaving away. Ichigo fueled the sword with a little of his Reiryoku and swung, his ken'atsu easily cutting through the Hollow and killing it. He spotted a figure fighting against a new person, bearing the Kanji of Five on the back of his haori, where the person's adversary wielded a large scythe and bore a mask that completely covered his or her face. The masked person definitely looked a lot like Lelouch in his Zero costume from the _Code Geass _franchise.

Gripping his blade in both hands, Ichigo poured Reiryoku into Zangetsu. Swinging it behind his head, Ichigo released the energy with a swing toward the masked person with a "Getsuga Tensho!". The blue arc sailed toward the target, which the Anson deftly sidestepped the arc, while the wave of Reiatsu completely collided into the masked person. Ichigo quickly assessed the damage before shunpo'ing down to Anson's side, slashing a Hollow to his side and facing the newcomer captain.

"Sup," Ichigo said, nodding his head.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, Substitute Shinigami?" the captain asked. "Raynes Anson, Captain of the Fifth Division. Keep your guard up; the King's Messengers do not die easily."

"But that was a fully charged Getsuga...!"

"These Hollows work for the King of the Hollows," Anson explained. "These Messengers are on a completely different level than the Arrancars you've faced. But the Hollow King... is even more powerful." Ichigo spotted that Anson's face was scowled at him, like the man was going to kill him right there.

When the smoke cleared, the figure had obviously been damaged, but a small cut on his chest was all he sustained. The Messenger checked his clothes, wiping away the blood, and the wound healed almost instantly. _Ulquiorra's instant regeneration?_ Ichigo thought, _did he absorb his Reiatsu or power or something?_

"Kurosaki... Ichigo..." the figure said. "Fudosagi Ikido... I'm gonna have to kill that lying noble, destroy his family... wipe out his history... But first..." The Messenger lifted a large scythe, neither using Shunpo nor Sonído, appeared behind Ichigo and was already swinging his weapon at the Substitute Shinigami.

_Fast__!_ Ichigo thought, alarmed. He prepared to Shunpo away, only to see the blade sheen and change to a deep gray.

Suddenly, Ichigo was splattered with blood, although it wasn't his own. Out of the corner of his eye, his eyes grew as he saw that someone had jumped in front of him, side impaled by about four inches of the scythe. Even the Messenger's Reiatsu signaled surprise.

"Rukia!" Ichigo managed to shout. Ichigo swung Zangetsu in an arc, with the Messenger bringing up the scythe and blocking the trench knife-like cleaver with the pole of his scythe. Ichigo's arm jarred as the two weapons met. "Give her back!" Ichigo yelled, hearing a Hollow echo as he spoke.

The Messenger "teleported" away, back in front of the dense forest. He removed Rukia from the scythe, but the blood only trickled from the wound and dripped to the ground. "Kuchiki Rukia, dear friend of Kurosaki Ichigo. What a wonderful turn of events; both of my targets can be obliterated in one stroke."

"Put her down!" Ichigo yelled again, his Hollow voice echoing over his own. "I'll kill you!"

"Ah ah ahhh," the Messenger said, waving a finger. "A prisoner of war has been made. And, given that we are at war... I shall keep her. Now what shall you do...?" The Messenger started to retreat back into the forest, walking backwards.

"Bankai!" Ichigo roared, a hard material starting to form over his face. He exploded out of the swirling form of his Reiatsu, zooming across the plain and into the forest. The Messenger disappeared through a Garganta, glancing back.

Rukia had raised her head, awake and not grimacing, held out a hand and screamed, "Ichigo!"

"Rukia!" Ichigo shouted back, feeling the leaves and branches of nearby trees rip through his shihakusho. He would be able to reach the Garganta in time; he closed his eyes and poured all of his Reiryoku into his Shunpo...

What happened next seemed to happen all at once. He heard his name become called out, and his world went black and white for a few seconds, and his forehead was wet. Ichigo staggered to his feet and slashed in front of him, then opened his eyes. He gasped as he felt tears come to his eyes.

There was a rock face in front of him, only that it had been cut cleanly as if by a Getsuga Tensho. A red patch of blood splattered right under the gash in a small crater. Ichigo felt his heart well up into his throat as he raised his head into the air and screamed out his lungs.

He lowered his head, exhausted. He set a hand on the rock to steady himself, and his sight lowered to the ground. He saw something before succumbing to unconsciousness.

On the ground lay a white mask, graced with the same red patch of blood, with eye holes, red markings, an orange mane, and two horns that jutted out from the sides of the mask. _Rukia... _And Ichigo lay sprawled on the ground.


	16. 15: Clarification For Future Action

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part II: Shinigami Arc**

**Chapter 14: Clarification For Future Action**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced ****into the story. These characters (and ****Zanpakutō ****if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>The Messenger, the one whom led the invasions on Soul Society, walked down the corridors of the grand hall. It was silent as usual in the Hollow's Castle, much to Messenger's satisfaction. He entered the red carpeted room, walking forward a few steps before dropping onto a knee, his right hand twisted in front of his chest while his left supported the bottom of his scythe. "Milord, the prisoner has been taken to the cells and given the rations as ordered. What is your will?"<p>

The rather small figure lifted his head from his arm, his entire face hidden by shadow. He rose from his throne of obsidian and various Hollow mask designs, stretched out his neck, then sat back down, his right hand resting on the two-handed hilt of a large scimitar. "Supply me with the sentry report. You have been at the outpost for some time now, yet you did not send any report."

"My apologies, but our runners appeared to be intercepted and killed. I had found the right prisoner, one that would appeal to you." The Messenger bowed his head lower. "_He_... is here." The pause was for indication, and emphasis. Surely the King would know.

"Raynes..." the King hummed, "so now he has finally revealed himself, amongst the liars as well. So much for promises, they can't even keep one even after Aizen destroyed the balance."

"I have been wondering why you have allowed Aizen to make a mockery of your kingdom," the Messenger said.

"It was necessary; if I had stepped in to join the Soul Society in their war, the Soul Society would be much more powerful than they are now. I would estimate twenty-fold; and the invasions are to exhaust them."

"And it does seem to be working, sending a few Adjuchas at a time from the Forest of Menos. But why do you not use the Gillians? They..."

"They are a turret line. Adjuchas Hollows know when to run, but the Gillians shall keep fighting. The best minion is one that thinks for others, not one that thinks of his or her own well-being." The King spat out to his side. "Anyways, carry on."

"It is as you expected; Kurosaki Ichigo has regained his Hollowfication powers along with the transfer of reiatsu after his Fullbring was absorbed. It was a week before..."

"You needn't tell me that!" the King roared. There was a pause. "Excuse me. I must have interrupted you. Go on."

"I'll just give you the meaningful information; over the past five or so strikes, only Lieutenant and Captain-class Shinigami have assessed the invasive team. What they don't know is that we have recruited low-level Adjuchas for the job, although some have proven to be quite troublesome... for the Shinigami I mean. And Kurosaki... he is in a state of depression over his lover, it seems. This war may be over before we know it, unless something arises that we do not expect."

The King drummed his fingers on the scimitar's pommel, contemplating what he had heard. "I wish to see the prisoner. Bring her here. After that, you are dismissed, Sy." Sy bowed once more before rising and leaving through the grand double doors.

* * *

><p>Rukia groggily cracked open an eye, finding herself on a tattered bed. She noticed her wound was gone, but it was freezing cold in the room, as if she were reliving a snowstorm during her days in Inuzuri, Rukongai Seventy-Eight South. Rukia hugged herself to preserve her body warmth, noticing she wasn't chained to a wall or anything. <em>Dammit,<em> she thought, _my __Zanpakutō is power over ice, and I can barely stand forty degrees Fahrenheit. What kind of Shinigami is weak to cold anyway; the body gets cold, not the soul!_

Rukia craned her head upward, seeing that a patch of moonlight now shone on a wooden crate, where a platter of food waited. There were a knife and chopsticks set on a napkin, accompanied by two dishes and a cup. One dish contained some brown slab; steak, as she remembered having it for dinner with Ichigo one night. The other dish contained a salad, topped with shredded egg, cucumbers, carrots, and all other kinds of vegetables she liked. A cup of a steaming liquid sat in the back of the crate. _Are they stalkers or something, that they know foods I like?_ she asked herself.

Rukia rose from the bed, her head knocking against something. Almost immediately, the room's temperature went up, becoming the coolness of Karakura Town on a summer night. _I wonder if I hit the thermostat._

She pulled the crate to the tattered bed and started to eat. She wasn't too hungry, but waking up in a weird place worked up an appetite. She prepared her chopsticks and placed the palms of her hands together, whispering, "_Ittadakimasu_."

She took a piece of cucumber first; fresh, as if someone had actually taken the time to cultivate the crop. The eggs were no exception either; all seemingly top-quality food. She lifted the mug, staring at the opaque brown liquid. She sniffed, and the smell of French vanilla coffee beans filled her nose. She finished the food, leaving the leftovers on the crate. She lay back down on the bed, the heat of the steak and the coffee warming up her body from her previous coldness. She looked up, seeing a white circle in the sky with a smaller black circle lying on the inside, at the very left-side edge, of the larger white region; it took Rukia to realize it was a moon.

The moon of Hueco Mundo.

_What am I doing here... and who brought me?_

_Ichigo..._ Rukia's head sank into the soft pillow. _I don't know why I'm here... but it's cold... because I have no idea where I am..._ Rukia felt a tear fall from her eye, and began to cry herself to sleep.

_I'm scared. It's pathetic, but I am truly scared... again._

* * *

><p>"We sure are having a lot of people going to Sōgō Kyugō Tsumesho," Anson said. "I'm sure Unohana-taichō is having a great time with the new patients; first Socrius-kun, then Kuchiki-taichō, and now Kurosaki Ichigo. I wonder if more and more patients are going to fill in."<p>

"It's wartime," Tōshirō replied. "Wounded are going to fill the infirmaries. If Kuchiki's sister were not taken away, she would probably be here at Sōgō Kyugō Tsumesho too. But..." the boy's voice trailed off, "she isn't. I'm sure both Kurosaki and Kuchiki-taichō are equally crushed about this. I, for one, am just afraid Kurosaki will not take up his blade, since Kuchiki isn't here to motivate him."

"Aghh, this Japanese translation stuff!" Anson said, gripping his head. "I can't tell whether you're speaking about Byakuya or Rukia now; please differentiate between the two when speaking about both of them...!"

"It's Japanese!" Tōshirō argued loudly, arms angrily crossed. "Japanese people can't help but say surnames when we have not earned the intimacy shared with another person, save we call them by their full name! Raynes-taichō, tch." Tōshirō looked away, his gaze resting on Ichigo's door. "But, I don't know how Kurosaki will cope with this kind of loss; he and Kuchiki... Rukia, are good friends. At one point, Kuchiki Byakuya forbade her to go to the World of the Living to see Kurosaki, but they managed with Kurosaki coming here through Urahara's Senkaimon."

"They're an item, that's what," Anson remarked. "I'd say, love makes you do stupid things; and makes you find ways to make things happen."

"You know something about attachment?" Tōshirō asked.

"Not much. All I remember is that all relationships I have with girls ends up with me getting hurt in some way, shape, and form. Take Hibiscus Rosche; she kicks or hits me every time I try to talk to her... or it's me and my incessant bickering." Anson smirked at the possibility.

Tōshirō gave a short _hmf_ and started to walk away. Byakuya strolled down the hall and entered the room which beheld Ichigo. Anson followed Byakuya into the room; the latter lunged and held Ichigo up by the collar of his shihakusho. "Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya said vehemently, "you have placed Rukia in enough danger already. First, you had forced her to give up her Shinigami powers to save you and your family; nearly sacrificing her life for you. Then, you and your campaign into Hueco Mundo to save your orange-haired girlfriend. The most recent was that you nearly made her lose an arm or more with the Fullbringers, if it weren't for that Riruka girl. And now she's a prisoner of war! What do you have to say for yourself?! Hah?!" Byakuya shook Ichigo's collar, whom seemed to be struggling to breathe.

"...You think... I don't care...?" Ichigo managed. "It was... my fault Rukia... was taken! I know...! We can't change... what has already happened...!" Anson placed a hand on Byakuya's hand and lowered it so Ichigo was able to speak normally. Ichigo coughed before continuing. "Like what I had done with Inoue, I will do the same with Rukia! I will bring her back!"

Byakuya's eye twitched. "Just so you defeated Aizen means you can take on half-dozen or so Messengers alone, even with your Quincy and human friends? You may be able to kill one, but not all of them! And they'll want you to Hollowfy; to take control of you to destroy Soul Society as easily as you destroyed a portion of Hueco Mundo!"

Anson stepped forward and caught one of Ichigo's punches, which was aimed at Byakuya's face. "Both of you stop. Kurosaki Ichigo is aware of his fault. Kuchiki-taichō, you are becoming too harsh on this person, one that saved Soul Society from one whom had committed high treason, one whom tried to usurp the peace. If he becomes any more unstable, he may accidentally kill you; his Hollow Form will be proof of it." Anson threw down the fist onto the covers.

Byakuya turned his head and walked out the door, a heavy tension lingering in the air. Anson looked back at Ichigo, whom was gripping the blankets covering his legs. He was trembling, yet Anson could see it wasn't from cold. "It's my fault this happened..." he said softly. "At first, I couldn't protect my own family. Then Rukia was taken away. Inoue was the next to go. My powers then left me, but so far I have managed to bring them back... but what do I have against a Spirit King? He would be like me trying to fight five Aizen's in a row...!" His hands gripped the blankets tighter, and Anson laid a hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

"Remember your fight with Kenpachi," Anson said, recalling all he had learned from his study of the Ryoka Invasion. "You nearly lost because of your loss of hope. Your Reiryoku level lowers when you are scared. And when two Reiatsu collide, the side with a lower Reiatsu level is hurt. Put your determination to save your friend, and you will be on a much higher level. That goes with your Hollowfication; if you can cooperate with your inner Hollow, even the Hollow inside you won't let you be converted. I've spoken to Hollows before; I've stopped meaningless bloodshed with them a few times.

"I will just let you know, the craftier a Hollow, the smarter it is. The smarter it is, the less that one will rely on instinct. You can reason with humans but you can't reason with snakes or lions; because instinct erects a barrier behind truth and want." Anson removed his hand. "I don't know what you're experiencing inside, but talk to your Zanpakutō. Both the Zanpakutō and your inner Hollow share the same inner world. I can't tell you how to convince your inner Hollow, but I'm sure a Vasto Lorde-class Menos will have the same judgment as a human lawyer or judge." Anson then left the room.

_This is not working out how I wanted,_ Anson thought. _The plan is being postponed... but I shall have to change that. I need to make extra precautions, just in case Kurosaki Ichigo cannot reach agreements with his Hollow self._

_After all, all I can do right now is guide people, and see how they will use my advice. As for Kai and Rosche, they're in for a surprise._

"Jikan no Uranaishi?" Anson said, turning to his sheathed Zanpakutō. "Change of plans. Step Two no longer has the environment to execute; we're going to Plan D. Step Three will start when Ichigo enters Hueco Mundo."

* * *

><p>"Kuchiki Rukia," said the Messenger's voice. A portion of the wall slid open, revealing the Hollow-person with the spiked mask. "Tidy yourself up, the King of Hollows wishes to seek an audience with you." Rukia slowly lifted herself from the bed and ran her hand through her bed-hair, combing it into place. The Messenger held out her Zanpakutō; it had already been taken from her when she woke up. "Do not release your Zanpakutō upon me, or I will have you chained in your confines, do you understand?"<p>

Rukia was blasted with a numbing force of reiatsu, which made her stumble. She blinked and the crushing force was over; just a split-second release. _He means business,_ Rukia decided, accepting her Zanpakutō and quickly tying it to her sash. She then followed the Messenger through the halls, listening to the heavy clack of the heels. _And by that reiatsu, I can only think of him as a Vasto Lorde-class; a Vasto Lord Menos looks like a human at that..._

The Messenger stopped at large double doors, which swung inward as if on their own accord. The Messenger immediately went down into a bow. As she entered the room, she felt gloomy and dark, wanting to just assume a fetal position and cry. She resisted the urge, and the aura of darkness seemed to fade away. She looked forward, seeing another person, seemingly a man due to his build, on a magnificent throne of mask-studded obsidian. A large scimitar was driven into the ground, resting with its hilt up. The figure, most likely the King, stood up. "Thank you, Sy, you may leave."

"As you wish, milord," the Messenger, Sy, said before making his leave. The doors swung shut as Sy turned and walked back through the corridor.

The Hollow King approached Rukia, a veil of shadow covering his face. A small crown graced the tip of the shadow, which seemed to resemble a flame. The King walked around Rukia, looking over her form and paused in front of Rukia, seemingly looking intently into her face. "Kuchiki Rukia..." the King said, noticing his voice sounded vaguely familiar and had a hint of desperation. Rukia's mind flashed through the thousands of faces she had met, but she couldn't settle on any one person whom this man resembled. The King turned around and placed his arms behind his back.

"Why did you call me here?" Rukia asked as politely as possible. "You requested an audience with me."

The King stayed silent for a while as he retreated to his throne, albeit slowly. He turned to Rukia again, whom felt his eyes rest on her face. What the King was thinking, Rukia wasn't sure, but she knew her voice did not reach the man... or Hollow. She merely waited, as if standing at attention for Ukitake or another captain. But the silence was unnerving. _This must be how Inoue-san felt during her t__ime in Hueco Mundo, _Rukia thought.

The King's head turned and placed his head in an open palm. "You may wander the premises as you wish," he finally said after a few minutes of silence. "However, if you leave the compound, a Vasto Lorde shall be sent after you. Do not try my patience." The voice was less menacing than Rukia thought, but she still obliged with a dip of her head. "Leave."

Rukia walked through the automated doors, where she saw Sy leaning against a pillar, his arms crossed. "I've heard the King's edict. I must say, he seems very lenient with Shinigami more than his previous Hollow and Arrancar prisoners."

"He's been thinking most of the time in there," Rukia replied. "I'm going for a walk."

"If you jump over any balconies, crash through a window, or try to leave through any doors that lead outside, the Messengers will be sent after you. We are ordered to keep you alive, but if you resist, we have the right to kill. I doubt you will be able to defend yourself against the Seven Messengers for more than a few seconds." Sy pushed himself off the wall and walked away, then stopping. "And if you wish to walk in the garden, a Messenger must be with you. Your quarters are your cell, until further notice." Then Sy walked out of sight.

Rukia lifted a hand to her heart, letting it rest there before looking up. She saw an image of Ichigo's face, the same sad look just over a year ago, on the day he had lost his Shinigami powers. She walked back toward her cell, retracing her steps in the massive layout of the castle. _Ichigo, how are you going to rescue me?_

* * *

><p>Ichigo laid his head on the pillow upon hearing the door being closed. He sighed, feeling unbearably depressed, cursing under his breath. He couldn't settle on what to do other than storm Hueco Mundo as he had done before; only that this time, he would have to refrain from summoning his Hollow mask and using its power. But only he knew; not Uryū, not Orihime, not Chad. Only Renji, but he hadn't seen him yet. He sighed as he imagined that Renji's form of treatment would be much more painful than Byakuya.<p>

Ichigo sighed. He put a clawed hand over his face and summoned the mask, ripping off the hardened white material and looked at it. Sure enough, it was the Hollow mask Orihime and Uryū described to him in Hueco Mundo, the inner Hollow whom nearly destroyed Ulquiorra. He made a fist and smashed the mask into broken fragments, immediately becoming tired as the loss of Hollow reiatsu left his spiritual reserves. _He... is back. Dragged along with Zangetsu._

Ichigo removed the covers from his body and looked out the window. _But I can control myself in __this "Vasto Lorde" form, which is a good sign. The Messenger, or M__essengers, obviously can aggravate the inner Hollow to swallow their host and become full-fledged Hollow, something I don't want._

_What should I do now?_

Ichigo swung his legs off the bed and picked up Zangetsu, which was leaning against the wall. He set the chain that held the massive sword over his right shoulder and under the opposite arm, connecting the chain together. He then walked to the window, fully opening it, and then jumped out. _I would go to Sōkyoku Hill if it weren't for the number of people han__ging out there now..._

Ichigo sighed as he closed his eyes for a while and shunpo'ed away, looking for some other area. He spotted a mountain to the west, not too far away, and started his way towards his destination. He jumped over the sekkiseki walls toward the mountain, feeling a sudden tie to that place.

Ichigo had passed through three Rukongai districts until he reached the base of the mountain. _Koifushi_, read a wooden sign. Ichigo sighed as he started to ascend the mountain. He stopped on a seemingly grassy plateau not too far up, also surrounded by a ring of trees. He inhaled the crisp mountain air, stopping as he heard something.

He looked in front of him, seeing a young man sitting on a rock and watching a girl draw her Zanpakutō. There was a brief spiral of white reiatsu, and the sword became fully white, sporting a white ribbon at the end of its pommel. "Rukia...?" Ichigo heard himself ask. The man seemed to laugh, but there was no sound exiting his mouth. Rukia smiled at the man, and then seemed to glance at Ichigo as the image of the two faded away.

Ichigo sighed as he stepped toward the rock and knocked it with his finger. There was a dull clack as his finger tapped the rock, and Ichigo sat on it, bringing his legs into a cross. He brought Zangetsu out and laid the sword across his lap, then formed his Hollow mask and closed his eyes. Summoning the mask was only to separate his Hollow self from Zangetsu, and that was whom Ichigo wanted to specifically talk to.

* * *

><p><em>"So has the King come to feed his horse, now?"<em>

_"Hush, Hollow." Ayoung man in a flared coat walked up to Ichigo. His hair was unruly with a single strand falling through the middle of his face. "We have seen what has happened, Ichigo," Tensa Zangetsu said. "I have explained it with Hichigo already, and he has reluctantly agreed."_

_"You know what the deal is?" Ichigo asked._

_"Tensa Zangetsu told me of the deal we would make," Hichigo said, stepping forth. "You've already dealt with our fused form for the Final Getsuga Tenshō. We have nothing to teach beyond Bankai. You have already embraced the Vasto Lorde level Hollowfication. But the old man's gonna force me to help you out, and I want something in return."_

_"Name it, and I will try to give it."_

_Hichigo laughed. "I'll just take it when you finish everything." He pointed a finger at Ichigo. "Now, don't die until then. Especially in your new Hollow level; the next time I resurface, the Cero I fire will destroy whatever place you're in."_

_Tensa Zangetsu stepped past Ichigo. "You've surpassed Aizen. But Aizen will be nothing more than an ant for what's to come. These ... Messengers are in a different league than the Arrancars during your first time in Hueco Mundo, maybe surpassing even Aizen. But the Hollow King... is most likely even more powerful; as if you were facing five Aizen's at once."_

Anson's words..._ Ichigo th__ought._

_"That is why Hichigo must cooperate with you, as in not controlling your body in Vasto Lorde form, in order for you to fight on par with the Messengers, and maybe have a chance against the Hollow King. However, he is the judge of his own decisions, and when he decides to strike it may already be too late for a correction." Tensa Zangetsu slowly blinked, keeping his eyes closed for an unusually long time. "I want to let you know, that with your Fullbring training, your Bankai and Hollowfication combination may have the power to completely destroy Hueco Mundo. I can also hypothesize that if Hichigo were to emerge, your friends may succumb to the pressure of his reiatsu and become immobile, or even physically crushed. I am sure you don't want that to happen."_

_Ichigo shook his head and faced his Hollow counterpart. "We are going to have to be allies for once," he said._

_"Tch, the only reason I'm doing this is because my landlord is telling me so." The Hollow jabbed a finger at Ichigo's chest. "Now, if you are on the verge of death, and __only I can do something about it, I'm keeping your body from then on, _got it_?!" Ichigo bared his teeth at the venom put into the statement, knowing that if he failed, his whole life would be taken away._

_"Just remember to respect my friends then," Ichigo said. "At least you won't freak them out with your sadistic personality and all."_

_Hichigo pummeled Ichigo into the building platform they were standing on, making a hole in the outline of Ichigo's body. "Who're you calling sadistic?!"_

_"Accept it," Tensa Zangetsu said, striding over to Ichigo and helping him out. "Suppress your nature. I would rather not have you become confined into a mental ward, then destroying the city with a single Cero. The world is a dystopia enough as it is, and to destroy it even further would make it unsuitable for living." Zangetsu sighed._

_"You make it sound like as if he would be the King," Ichigo commented._

_"It is a possibility; given that if you fail, Hichigo will take dethrone the Hollow King, and maybe install himself as the Hollow King, and destroy Soul Society. Remember that animation you watched, with that Student from Britain..."_

_"Britannia," Ichigo said, noticing that Tensa Zangetsu was referring to Code Geass. "I know, some person wants to destroy an empire, then kills that empire's king; ironically his father; and installs himself as the new empire's emperor. He then turns his back on the side he was previously fighting for. I know." Ichigo dropped his legs into the hole, letting them dangle over the edge. "But only that the Hollow King isn't family."_

_Tensa Zangetsu smirked. "You understand the risks now; if you fail, your inner Hollow will take over your body, and you will not be able to do a thing about it except watch." The man turned around, waving two fingers at Hichigo. The Hollow hesitantly walked to Tensa Zangetsu's side, looking out into the distance. "Ichigo. I expect that you win. As much as I can afford to protect you, I can't protect you from anything. Same thing goes for you, but do not take that failure too seriously; something will eventually get to them. As for your final showdown with the Hollow King, you cannot fail that. If Hichigo manages to fail, then the world as you know it will be nothing but ruin._

_"Come, Hichigo, the discussion is finished." Hichigo looked back at Tensa Zangetsu, then back at Ichigo._

_"Remember, King; the Horse will not always carry the king. He will rear back, but that may also be to help the King as well. As for your girlfriend, I'll make sure they don't do as much as scratch her. If they do, just allow me to possess your body once time so I can chop the one who did into shreds, will ya?" He then started to dissipate into Tensa Zangetsu's cloak, turning back to face the distance._

_"She's not a girlfriend, just a girl who's a close friend!" Ichigo yelled back, feeling his face get warm._

_"Ahh, whatever," Hichigo laughed, completely merging with Tensa Zangetsu after a cackle._

* * *

><p>Ichigo rose from the rock, still feeling hot in the face. "Now my sadistic side knows about that..." Ichigo sighed, face-palming. "I just wonder how Byakuya is going to react to all this..." He stretched out his neck and arms before standing, catching a nearby branch to steady himself from falling. "And now my legs are damned asleep." Ichigo sighed, looking back at the field once more.<p>

"I have to tell Ishida, Orihime, and Chad about this." Ichigo leapt up into the air. "Just wait a bit longer, Rukia. I'm, we're, coming to save you!"

* * *

><p>Chad, Orihime, and Uryū arrived at the Karakura Clinic within a few minutes of Ichigo's notice. They came in individually, first being greeted by Yuzu and Karin. Thankfully, it was summer break; no fuss. Each entered Ichigo's room with a casual greeting.<p>

Uryū was the first to step inside; of course he would be the first to enter. "What, Ishida, no clubs today?" Ichigo asked, sitting up on from his bed.

"None of your business, Kurosaki," Uryū replied, pushing up his glasses before looking around. "Besides, it seems much quieter than when I was here the last time, I mean during our meetings. Is there something to that?"

Ichigo looked out the window. "I'm... gonna get to that later... When Inoue and Chad come." Uryū's face had lost its scowl and replaced by worry.

Orihime and Chad walked in a few minutes later, Orihime carrying a plastic bag with a box inside. "Kurosaki-kun! Ishida-kun!" she said gleefully. "I brought a box for the five of us to share!" She set down the box and pulled out five bentos, each with a set of chopsticks. Ichigo sighed as everyone got their own box. "Where's Rukia-chan?" she asked, looking around. "Could she still be sleeping?"

"She's not in the closet if you're asking me."

"Kurosaki!" Uryū thundered, "what have you been doing to Kuchiki-san?!"

Ichigo took the question lightly. "She's not here anymore," he trailed off.

"Of course, because you took her away somewhere, right?" Orihime said brightly. "Where else would Kurosaki put a body other than his closet?"

"This is serious," Uryū argued, "I'm just wondering how Kuchiki-san's brother is going to react when he hears of this."

"_I can't take it anymore_!" Ichigo screamed, a fist crashing down on the wooden floorboards. "If you guys aren't gonna let me talk, just leave!" He gasped for air after speaking.

"Apparently, I haven't spoken until now," Chad said softly, quietly ingesting the contents of the bento. "What's wrong?"

"You know what... I just wished you were at Soul Society then," Ichigo said. "Then I wouldn't have to explain this crap." Ichigo rose and sat on his bed.

"It's definitely something to do with Kuchiki-san, though," Uryū said. "I'll listen to your side of the story then."

Ichigo sighed as his forehead dipped lower. "Rukia... well, last time in Soul Society, Byakuya was bedridden somehow, and Rukia stayed there overnight. The next day, there was a Hollow invasion... and I went to help out. There was this weird person... and I would be dead if Rukia didn't take the hit for me...

"They took her!" Ichigo finally yelled. After a few breaths, Ichigo resumed: "That's why I'm asking the three of you. Can you help me get Rukia back?"

"Kurosaki..." Uryū trailed off. His expression seemed hurt, and his head hung in shame. "Sorry, I didn't realize what you were going through... but what does this mean? You mentioned an invasion. Is Soul Society at war with another faction? Did Aizen break out or something?"

"The Soul Society is at war," Ichigo confirmed. "And it's no small thing; they're up against the Realm of the Hollows and its King."

"Anyways, before we even go, do you have any leads on where Rukia may be kept?" Uryū asked. "They're probably not going to be in Las Noches or anywhere we have been, so where else have you seen a large building in Hueco Mundo?"

"I have no clue where she was kept, and I doubt they will allow us to track her reiryoku ribbon." Ichigo sighed. "I'm going to tell Urahara to prepare a Senkaimon; get some others to help me. I'm sure Renji is a bit distraught about this." Ichigo stood up and exited the door. "Yuzu, Karin, Dad, I'm gonna go out for a while..." A figure zoomed past Ichigo's vision and into the table, which Isshin had run his forehead into.

"Dammit, my head!" Isshin cried out, gripping the wounded area. "And how he managed to dodge that dash, I have no idea..."

"Dad," Ichigo said calmly, as if the surprise attack had never happened, "I'm going to be spending the next few days, weeks, or maybe months at Soul Society. If anyone is looking for me, just tell them I'm off in a summer camp or something. I won a cruise to a Hawaiian island, whatever; just tell them I'm not home and went somewhere far."

Isshin stood up, lowering a hand from his head. "It's Rukia... isn't it?" Ichigo hesitated, and then nodded. "I'll handle things here. I'll be sure to tell Unagiya-san about this; but be sure bring my third daughter back, you hear me?!"

Ichigo suppressed a chuckle and walked out the door. Uryū, Orihime, and Chad followed suit. "I'll be back," Uryū said, "I have some stuff to take care of." Uryū walked away, in the direction of his house.

"He's gonna be back in fifteen minutes or so," Chad said silently. "He's getting his clothes." Ichigo sighed at the mention of the Quincy clothing, then headed off to the left of Karakura Clinic, towards Urahara Shōten.

_Rukia, I'm on my way._


	17. 16: All the Time in the World

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part II: Shinigami Arc**

**Chapter 16: All the Time in the World**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>I laid on my back, near the edge of Sōkyoku Hill, and stared at the clouds. It was as far as I could be for Brandon and Jorden's voices to be out of earshot. Why I didn't just leave, I have no idea.<p>

It was occasionally that I would be talking to Brandon, but only if Jorden wasn't around; that was just a hope. And now Brandon is starting to show Jorden's colors... scratch the loli fetish.

I got up and opened the messenger bag to my right, bringing out a mechanical pencil and the sketchbook, and started to make meaningless lines. I remembered that I would do that when I was human, and I would usually start drawing with that sharpened tip. I remembered something from the World of the Living, something that the Messenger reminded me of.

"Code Geass..." I whispered, sitting up with the pad in my lap, head rested on my left palm while the pencil had careful marks upon paper. "_Hangyaku no Lelouch_..." Of course, the picture wouldn't be as good if I didn't have a picture or still image for guidance.

"That's the Messenger, isn't it?" Rosche asked. Trying not to break my concentration, I nodded. I started with the visor, a vertical oval, and then lightly drew an outline of the entire mask. I started with the major helmet spikes, erasing some marks I made because the lines were either too angled or too long. I finished drawing the mask, along with the character's neck, then started with his mantle. I drew the cloak flowing over his body, leaving an opening for his left hand, having him hold the scythe in that hand. For his other hand, I did not draw it, as I pictured his hand to inside the cloak, behind his back. I finished the cloak, then drew his legs crouched down, barely seen as the cloak flowed over them. For detail, I shaded in the visor to a light gray, leaving the mask to be white. I outlined the outer hem of the cloak with a black, along with the soles of his boots. For the scythe blade, I colored it a darker gray than his visor, but not as dark as the cloak hem outline.

Done with the detail, I began shading, the light being as if it were coming from the left side of the picture; the Messenger's right; and used solid lines to differentiate between lighter and darker sides. His mask had a small crescent of darker gray at its lower left area, while the area around the mask was shaded in lightly, save for places that seemed to turn to the right; for example, the spikes. The scythe's hilt's right side was shaded in lightly, as well as the bottom of the left arm. On the cloak, I left the left side completely white, save for a small, thin region for a mark of shadow. His right side was mostly shaded in, as I left two patches of white to mimic folds in the cloak. I shaded in the left sides of whatever shoe area was visible.

Finished, I marked the picture with my name, Kai; written in all capital letters, while the horizontal bar for the A crossed over the A's right leg and became the I's top line. I couldn't think of a name, so I just decided with a simple name after his weapon. "Scy" didn't seem too normal, and went with "Sy".

_Ha, I remember a friend having that for his last name..._ I remembered. I laid the picture on the ground, noticing that my art style had diminished since I was alive. _I even remember drawing a dragon-human hybrid better._

"That looks pretty nice," Rosche commented. "Looks like something I've seen before..."

"Thanks," I said monotonously. "I used to draw better." I felt my left arm go slack, and felt a chill go up my spine. _Where have I heard that before?_ I closed the notebook, stood up, and looked out into the horizon. "Don't you feel something?" I asked.

"No," Rosche said. "I was only able to sense the Reiatsu of you three."

I scratched my head and bit my lip. "It feels similar to the Reiatsu of a Hollow... but there's also something mixed into it. Do you know if a Shinigami-Hollow hybrid exists?"

Rosche seemed to flinch for a second. "Well, there were some artificial Arrancars that Aizen made during his betrayal, but as far as I know, none of them would come to Soul Society. Those are the only Shinigami-Hollow hybrids I know... wait, what about Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"The one with the orange hair?" I asked. "I thought I remembered him from somewhere... he used to be a Hollow?"

"More like he has a Hollow inside him. The former Third, Fifth, and Ninth Captains were Visoreds, Shinigami whom acquired Hollow powers..."

"Isn't that against the rule?" I asked, remembering the list of rules that Ounabara-sensei had gone over on the first day of school. "That a Shinigami acquiring Hollow powers is forbidden."

"Yamamoto-sotaichō has been very lenient with the former captains. I have no idea why he allowed the Visoreds to stay within the Gotei Thirteen, or even why he allowed them to have their positions back. I think it's because no one wanted to apply for the open areas... or hasn't been able to since Aizen's rebellion. I really don't know why... but anyways, it would probably be Kurosaki Ichigo."

I stared back into the horizon again. "Visored... sharing your soul with two others. The Zanpakutō and the Hollow too?" I took a sharp exhale, suppressing a laugh. "I wonder how that would work out in me..."

"I wouldn't think about it if I were you," Rosche laughed. "It probably isn't a pleasant feeling anyway; I'd take the first chance I get to get it out of my soul." She stood up too, just as Anson appeared over us. "The three of you; come with me. We're going to the Sakiruma Plateau in Rukongai Two South. We have gotten word that Kurosaki Ichigo has informed his friends about Kuchiki Rukia's disappearance. Travel to Hueco Mundo is imminent, and a fully-fledged war is to be determined. We will assemble three-hundred Shinigami, but through the Hollow King, they will have millions. As that seems like a huge number, we will only allow seated Shinigami onto the battlefield; each can take down about two in a quick second." Anson glanced at Jorden. "Kai, Rosche, Jorden, follow me."

"What about me?" Brandon asked.

"You are still Academy alumni, and so you will stay in Soul Society. You will not participate in the war... unless you wish to forfeit your soul."

Brandon hung his head. "I'm fine... Jorden! Kai! Kill some Hollows for me, 'kay?"

I gave him a thumbs-up, and Jorden swung him arm around him. Brandon took in the gesture for a second, then removed Jorden's arm from his body. "Yeah, go on now."

Anson led the way toward South, shunpo'ing at Rosche's, Jorden's, and my fastest pace of Shunpo. It was a few seconds until the patch of land was found, and we softly landed on the rock area.

"Now, gather up." Anson unsheathed his sword. "All of you are going to be our fighting force; back down now if you wish to keep your life... and keeping the lifestyle you have kept for so long."

The words stung, but I couldn't find myself backing down. I bit my inner lip, in defense to whatever doubt I had. I was the Seventh Seat of the Sixth Division. If Byakuya would be expecting me to become stronger, then I have to place my trust in this one person. Much less, the suspicion that depopularized this certain captain.

Jorden, on the other hand, was trembling. "What kind of training?" he asked.

"Hard training for you," Anson said. "Right here, I am going to force you to learn your Shikai. Every possible way, I shall manifest your Zanpakutō in the most forcible way possible; even if I must place you on the brink of death." The last statement caused Jorden to take a step back.

"I shall find my own time."

"I will honor your decision, but what shall I do when I find you in your room, surrounded by your lolicon magazines you keep in your room instead of finding you studying Shikai...? Shall I have permission to burn them?"

"No! Don't burn them!" Jorden cried out. "You watch; I will have my Shikai ready sooner or later!"

"I'll demote you if you don't then," Anson said. "So then it's settled; two rooms..." Anson dropped his sword, and uttered a single word before I blacked out: "Bankai."

* * *

><p>"Seven Messengers, assemble."<p>

Seven figures walked before the King, each sporting a different mask. Sy led the assembly to the small rectangular table, prepared with tea, and sat at the narrow end that faced the King. To his left were three; Kray, Nin, and Par. His right; Dol, Ez, and Hae. Sy shifted in his chair.

_Kray, the claymore Lorde; he is capable of swing a large sword with no effort at all. Nin, the ninja Lorde; she is faster than light at maximum speed, and uses it to completely confuse her foes. Par, the spear Lorde; he uses a spear in combat, similar to my scythe._

_Dol, the dual-blade Lorde; he uses the two blades__ to trap his enemy in between them. Ez, the ranged-specialist Lorde; he incorporates all reiatsu in the form of ranged weapons... like a Quincy. And Hae, the flame Lorde; she doesn't hesitate to use flames to burn her enemy to ashes._ Sy turned his attention to the King. _As for the King, I cannot recall anything..._

"Now, everyone has a cup of tea?" the Hollow King asked. "Good. I have an announcement to make; given that we have no 'neutral territory', Sy has suggested we fight on our home turf, just so that we have the at-home advantage. Thus, with our infinite supply of Hollows, we shall be able to get back to the battle much faster than the Shinigami."

"What their forces are able to decimate ours?" asked Nin. "We would be conquered much more easily and faster by fighting at home. I believe that we would make much more progress by fighting within Soul Society; pinpoint Garganta will be able to pass much of Rukongai, and all we need to do is push into Seireitei."

"Nin," replied Dol, "what of the Shinigami? They heal slower than Hollow regeneration, and the distance placed at our doorstep only requires that they travel a much more significant distance than if we were fighting on their turf. Milord, fighting on our turf seems like a nice idea."

"I'd be able to snipe a few before I take my naps," Ez said. "All in favor?" Ez called, raising his hand. Three other hands shot up, including Sy. _This will benefit them,_ Sy said. _I'm just here as the tie-breaker._

The King sighed, resting his head on his palm. "Sy, how is our... prisoner?"

"She has shown no attempt to leave, but she spends most of her free time looking out of windows and balconies. She doesn't speak as much as she used to." Sy shifted in his seat, but the King took no notice of him.

"Is the army ready for mobilization?"

"Yes milord. In addition, a group of ten Adjuchas Hollows are ready for invasion, and will be dispatched on your command." Sy tapped the edge of his chair impatiently before bring it on the table and interlocking both of his hands' fingers together. "Although, I doubt they will give much time."

"Prepare the main army. I shall have to address them myself... I'm sure they have prepared Reigai as their main force." The King sighed softly. "You seven; you will encounter the Shinigami approaching me... and destroy them. And Sy... I trust you will take care of that fool Raynes. He shall not disrupt what I have set into motion... and until the Spirit King is removed, I shall not rest." The King stood up, waving everyone off. "You are all dismissed. But Sy, I have one last request." The room was emptied of the six other Messengers before Sy spoke.

"If this is regarding the prisoner, I have taken care of it. The Hollow inside her shall give her no inclination to leave Hueco Mundo... but it will do only that. She will not gain any power from the little Hollow reiatsu I have transferred."

"Does she still think of Kurosaki?"

"She seems to think me as a guardian, saying how much I resemble the orange-haired Shinigami. But this is all because of your demand. The prisoner... believes she is here for a reason."

"Hopeless thinking," the King said. "Although intriguing. You may leave."

Sy stood up and took a quick bow before leaving the conference room. He looked around, and then brought out his scythe. He walked over to a window and brought out a piece of parchment, quickly writing a few words with his a compressed Cero. The words seemed to burn the paper a little, but the scorch marks that were left created a legible message. He rolled up the parchment and took a small piece of thread and dexterously tied a knot, sealing the rolled-up scroll. Sy then spun his scythe in a spiral fashion, managing to summon a small crow with a skeletal mask. "Same place as last time. Don't get eaten." The bird gave a soft cheep before gripping Sy's message and flying off into the Hueco Mundo sky.

"What was that about, Sy-sama?"

Sy turned to see Rukia dressed in the original Arrancar clothing, a white jacket with black coloring for the threading and center zipper. There was a folded collar above the top hem of the jacket. Sy sighed and said, "What did I say about the 'sama' suffix? It isn't necessary to address me that way."

"Oh..."

"But do so with the Hollow King and the Messengers. They won't take kindly if you don't address them accordingly; it's just fine with me." Rukia looked away, then walked up to the window and looked out. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," Rukia looked away. "To me, it just seems you act more human than a Hollow... your treatment to me is much more different than I would have thought."

"King's demands," Sy said, "thank him, not me." The only thing I need is to screw up a love relationship. He sighed, looking up to the sky to see the crow fly back toward him. It dropped a piece of parchment on the windowsill, eying Rukia with a yellow eye. "The girl's harmless. Stay." Sy took a look at the paper and felt pleased. Taken care of.

"What is that?" Rukia asked again. Sy bit his tongue, glad that his face was covered by a full-face mask. This girl was pressing too many questions now.

"War effort," Sy said. "The Initiator Sections require a fast way of messaging the King and back, and thus his majesty has appointed me to be the... Seventh Messenger."

"It all seems like the Espada count from Aizen's Arrancar army."

"In a way, yet we obey only Hollows; Shinigami rule, whether it be in our government or in our soul, is treason. We have already taken care of most of the stragglers... save four 'Visoreds'. Apparently, we are unable to track their locations." _But the only real reason behind that is because they are using reiatsu-concealing Gigai,_ Sy remembered. Rukia turned her head to cough, obviously to hide a snicker. "Y'know, it isn't too windy today."

"What, are you asking me that I should go to the garden for a walk?"

"I'm telling you about your cough. With a slow wind, sand can't be whipped into the air to enter your mouth... and that's kind of a shame you don't have a mask."

Rukia looked away and adverted her attention to the outside again. Sy looked at the sill, where the Crow Hollow was still perched. "Sy..." Rukia muttered, unused to the suffix being dropped, "can Shinigami be friends with Hollows?"

Sy blinked, although the action wouldn't be seen from under his mask. "Perhaps. If one were to understand what it is we lack, just perhaps... However, all the Shinigami I have met have always vied to kill me. Only one..."

Rukia sighed, her action cutting Sy off. "I've had only a few occasions, one was because the Hollow retained some of his humanity. The others were a child Arrancar; a transformed Espada, and her Fraccíon. They helped us in the fight with Aizen." Rukia went on to tell her story about Aizen and the Arrancars, and Sy adverted his attention to himself.

_This girl, Rukia, seems to remind me of something,_ Sy thought.

"Is something wrong, Sy?"

Sy turned to Rukia, whom had concerning eyes on his mask visor. Sy turned and took a step. "I'm going for a walk in the garden; sort out some thoughts. My head is full, yet I believe I'm forgetting something." Sy started to walk away, leaving Rukia with the Crow Hollow.

* * *

><p>I groggily raised my head, noticing that I was in a mattress with a thin blanket over me. I saw the faint shine of sunlight through a tarp over my head, to which I blinked once. Right, I was on Sakiruma Plateau. I got up and looked around, jumping back at the sight of whom was right next to me; Rosche, whom was seemingly napping as well.<p>

_Now, just having that happen scares me,_ I thought. _I'm sure Jorden and Brandon would be thrilled to have that happen..._ I shook my head furiously, controlling my breathing and trying to clear my mind of the thought. _Just meaningless to even start..._ I looked over to the door flap of the tent, seeing my Zanpakutō and Rosche's Zanpakutō leaning against the cloth. A shadow was seated next to the door flap.

_Right, Raynes-taichō performed a Bankai... and something probably happened to us. I should ask..._ I ran my fingers through my hair, combing it into place, then picked up Shionari and tied it to my shihakusho.

"Up already, Kai?" Anson's voice asked.

"Uhm, yeah," I said uneasily. "And what was that about placing me right next to Rosche?"

"The tent I packed wasn't big enough, and you'd be getting heat stroke if you slept out in this sun." I opened the tent flap and stepped outside, the temperature feeling like I was in a jungle or desert or someplace.

"Very hot..." I commented. "I didn't know that Sakiruma Plateau was _this_ hot..."

Anson looked up and clouds started to drift about. The temperature went significantly cooler, like a summer's night. "Isn't that nice...?"

"Yeah, that's very nice." I glanced over at the tent, yet Rosche didn't seem to be getting up. "How long have you been waiting for us?"

"A good three minutes," Anson replied, handing me a cup. "Here's something to drink; I'm sure you're thirsty." I accepted the cup and took a small sip. Lemon-lime drink; almost like Sprite. The cool drink invigorated me, and I drained the cup. "That was refreshing," I said, lowering myself onto a nearby rock.

We sat in silence for a small while as we waited for Rosche to wake up. I brought out a mechanical pencil, which I had gotten into the habit of just carrying one, and promptly started to spin it around the base of my thumb. It was three rotations until I dug out a small notebook and started to start sketching a few lines. It was a few seconds until it seemed like the landscape before me, and I started to add rocks, trees, shading...

"Oh, you're up," Anson said casually. I looked up from the notebook, seeing Rosche emerging from the tent, hair tangled. "Get rid of that hell of a mess from your head, will you?" Anson threw Rosche a comb. "It's kind of distracting."

"When I find the chance, I'm gonna kick you into the future..." Rosche stuck her head back into the tent, staying there for a while more. When she stepped out, Anson applauded her for being a bit more like how she used to look. Anson was quickly awarded with a Zanpakutō sheath to the forehead.

"Okay," Anson said, rubbing his head, "the reason I've brought the both of you here is to ascend to a higher level of Zanpakutō release: Bankai. Of course, it has taken many captains years to study these works, and even longer to manifest and control this certain power. When one does manage to direct this power, there is no end to how much stronger that one can become." Anson drew his own Zanpakutō.

"Through learning Bankai, you become stronger not because of a new technique, but more because of a large surge of Reiryoku flows throughout your body to control the usual 'massive being' you summoned. But, in the reverse effect, if you compress your the resulting Reiryoku gain while in Bankai, you gain massive speed and power boosts, as the Reiryoku now becomes a stimulant for your body rather than fuel for a larger being.

"Aside that, the first step to achieve Bankai is to have a certain Reiatsu level. But being that both of you have achieved that; Kai being one whom survived a Reiatsu Overload, and Rosche having years and years of training, it is already passed. What's next is be able to materialize your Zanpakutō spirit. There is no real way to achieve this, as some spirits tend to not show their powers, as every spirit is different. Although once you have learned to subjugate your Zanpakutō spirit, Bankai will be available.

"And the only one I've seen materialize by far... is Kai's Shionari." I felt my Zanpakutō wriggle in its sheath, and I quickly put a hand on its hilt, and the vibrations stopped. "As for Rosche, I have yet to see it." Anson sighed as I turned to Rosche's feet and spied a small yellow and black bird with an intricate head crest. It pecked at Rosche's sandal, and then jerked its head around to face me.

"Uhm..." I said.

_I don't think staring is a nice thing t__o do,_ the bird said, speaking in Japanese quite fluently. I looked up at Rosche, slightly dumbfounded, while she just shrugged.

Anson sighed. "Ahh, you people have so much surprise... I estimated about a hundred years... so this cuts us to a small ten to twelve."

"What about the war?" I asked.

"Wars last a long time," Anson said. "I'm sure the Soul Society will be able to keep up with the Hollow Realm in terms of territories while we're gone; right now, rank doesn't matter too much. A Lieutenant can be at Captain-class if he or she was strong enough.

"But, treat your Bankai training as your first priority. Just trust me, the Soul Society will not fall so soon. We have all the time in the world." Anson blinked a few times before looking up at us. "Kai, I need you to call out Shionari. We can then start the training."

"You make yourself sound like as if you can control time..." I muttered. I drew my Zanpakutō and initiated Shikai. "Rage, Shionari." The blade gave away and melted into water, assuming its serpent form.

"I was more hoping a much more compact spirit... but this will have to do." Anson brushed up the hair from his face toward the side. "Both of your Zanpakutō have a task for you to achieve Bankai; not one Zanpakutō will not bestow their ultimate power without trial. I do not know what your Zanpakutō have in store for you, but I shall provide you two different places to unlock your Zanpakutō powers. Also, if you need anything, just call out."

"How are you going to do that?" Rosche demanded. "It's not like we can just get our own dimension or something, or you just fashion things out of thin air."

"Ah, I've never told you how overpowered I was." Anson lifted a hand, particles converging into his hand and manifesting into a katana; his sealed Zanpakutō, only that the hilt was somewhat morphed. "The two of you are already in my Bankai. Jikan-Tekina Munashii; the definition of 'all the time in the world.' Everything that takes place inside this dimension is under my influence. These events will either take place in the span of a microsecond... or over the course of eternity."

* * *

><p><strong>*End of Part One, Shinigami Arc*<strong>

***To be continued in Part Three, Ascension Arc***


	18. 17: Start of Trials

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part III: Ascension Arc**

**Chapter 17: Start of Trials**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>Rosche and I glanced uneasily at each other, and then back at Anson. "So we can take as much time as we want, with just a short amount of time gone by in reality?" I asked.<p>

"Correct," Anson said sternly. "I want the two of you to master Bankai, not just achieve it, but know every detail about your Bankai state; attack modifier, defense modifier, the amount of reiatsu release, what it does, and so forth. But no, I don't expect a full blown report on your Bankai. Instead, you shall demonstrate it in front of me.

"As for your Zanpakutō's 'test', they shall have to speak to me about the environment needed, and I shall provide accordingly." Anson got up from the rock and started to pace about. "Decide; take your time, we're not going anywhere."

_Mountainous region,_ Kaminarino Hyōji said. _Clear skies, a cliff over a plain with long, sturdy grass. A sea nearby, but not in the plains._ Anson took a breath and drew his Zanpakutō, briefly tapping a few keys that had formed on the hilt portion. There was a brief squeal, then the landscape in the horizon erected a sloping rock face, and the green plains darkened with longer and crisper plots of grass. A section of the land actually had all vegetation on it shrivel away before sinking under an expanse of water.

"Overpowered," Rosche muttered and Anson only smirked. The small blackbird hopped into the jungle, Rosche trailing behind, and disappeared toward the general direction of the cliff. Anson lowered the blade, and then turned to Shionari. "Your turn, Shionari."

_Your Reiatsu,_ Shionari said,_ is vast... and yet so similar to my master._ He sighed as he glanced between Anson and I. _A small remote island surrounded by an ocean. The outer third of t__he island is beach, the middle third is a loose forest, the innermost third is a mountain about three hundred feet in elevation. The deepest part of the water is thirty feet. Include shallow springs within the forest._ In my opinion, I think Shionari only wanted to see the extent of Anson's power.

The Captain Shinigami only pressed the keys on his sword more rapidly, and about three seconds later, and the terrain in the distance changed into half of the desired island. I gave Anson an impressed whistle and trailed into the jungle, through the underbrush, until I approached the beach. My sandals sank a centimeter into the sand while the wave of a fresh ocean breeze swept my senses.

"What do I have to do?" I asked Shionari, nearly impatient. I was unsure of what I was waiting for; the want to prove myself or to enact revenge against the Hollows for preying on me for so long. Shionari said nothing, but rather stared out into the horizon's setting sun. The light dazzled the water, reflecting an array of colors into my eyes.

_How well can you swim?_

* * *

><p>Rosche exited the jungle to enter into knee-length grass; some stray blades tickled her nose as she walked on. She followed after the parting of grass that indicated her small Zanpakutō spirit's location. She trudged on, as the grass didn't part very easily with each step, along with the fact that her hakama restricted smooth strolling through the grassland.<p>

There was the sound of a crackle and a high-pitched cry, and a wide strip of grass was burned away, exposing a dry dirt path. Kaminarino Hyōji hopped onto the dirt path, surrounded by three lightning-bolt shaped feathers that circled around him. _Does the grass hinder your movement that much? _Rosche frowned but didn't say anything.

Kaminarino Hyōji continued drawing an elaborate pathing, a dirt road that weaved around inside a square that was an eighth of a mile across. _How well do you keep your balance? _Kaminarino Hyōji asked. _Have you done any horseback riding or any balance control of the sort?_

Rosche lightly bit the inside of her lip. No memory of being on a horse or anything reached her. She obviously wasn't one of the few whom remembered many memories in the World of the Living. She shook her head. _How about being in the air?_

"Faint memory from when I was still alive, but aside from being inside an airplane I don't remember much of the experience."

If Kaminarino Hyōji were human, he would have sighed. _Then we are starting from the beginning. Balance is the basis for all I have to teach._

* * *

><p>I groaned. <em>Swimming, again? <em>I remembered during my high school sophomore year, my Mom forced me and my brothers to take swimming lessons, and the only bit I enjoyed was getting out of the pool. I loathed going, but obliged in her terms: "Don't do, and lose something", which the something was usually time on my computer.

"Did some... but hated it since it was forced," I replied. "I would have been more than glad to have done some other form of exercise-"

_Were you a fast swimmer?_ Shionari cut in.

"I guess you could say that. It takes me around twelve seconds to swim twenty-five feet in freestyle. But I wasn't able to keep up with my strokes since I had a shortness of breath."

_You were fast, though, _Shionari repeated.

I sighed. "I believe so." Where was he trying to get with this?

Shionari cocked his head from side to side. _I'm trying to see your capability with water control. You could move fast through the water either by forcing the water around your body, 'sprint-swimming', or moving the __water around yourself with the lowest number of strokes needed, 'true swimming'. 'Control over water' is my theme._

"So that means I have to swim faster than I could beforehand."

_No,_ Shionari said. _Using Kidō, I want you to be able to control the flows __of water and control it thus. No movement, save for a flick of the wrist at most, should be required._ I bit my lip at what to accomplish. It didn't sound like swimming at all. _You control my Shikai state by moving a sword, right?_

"Yeah, but it can't possibly be the same..."

_It precisely is. You must spread out your Reiatsu. That is my passivity; our reiatsu are alike, and so your presence flows from yourself and connects with every water molecule in the atmosphere._

_No wonder I attracted so many Hollow__s back in Fremont..._ I thought back. An endless sea, gathering in one place to fill an intrusion. Endless sea... I chuckled at the term; it fit me in a sense.

_As to be able to control that so-called 'Reiatsu leak', I must refine your Reiryoku... _Shionari grew sullen, as if troubled. _And what happened in Fremont was much too early and much too powerful for you to handle. I apologize for the... overload._

"It's already been accepted," I dismissed. "But how will I connect with my Reiatsu-web or what-you-wanna-call-it?"

_Simple; use Jinzen. _When Shionari said "simple", I knew it was going to be very complicated unless I had an explanation. _You are the core of your 'web'. You are not a branch, but are the origin of which all the branches come off of. They are __like extensions of your arms, and thus you can control it with your hands. The water becomes your sword._ Nope, still kind of confused. I frowned to show my predicament.

_Kai, in Bankai state, you can have control over every water molecule on the planet if__ you can manipulate your Reiryoku anchors on each individual molecule._ Now that hit me.

"But one more thing," I said, "how would I practice Jinzen when water becomes my medium to contact? Am I supposed to wet my lap then?"

_Just close your eyes and stay __silent._ I located a rock to sit on and laid the Shionari's Zanpakutō hilt on the sand in front of me. I positioned myself into a comfortable stance and closed my eyes, my hands resting on my knees. I felt my mind slowly branch out, one connection, then two... four... eight.

In just thirteen seconds, my mind calculated the contact of a thousand-twenty-four different water molecules. With every passing second, it doubled... and doubled again... but I still didn't seem to be going anywhere.

_To find the number of molecules inside a milliliter of a substance, you must know the number of moles of the substance, _my mind recalled from Chemistry class. _For example, the molar mass of water is eighteen grams per mole of water, or five-hundred-fifty-fifths of a mole of water. And so, multiply that by the Avogadro number, six-point-zero-twenty-two times ten-to-the-twenty-third power. The end result, three-point-thirty-four times ten-to-the-twenty-third power... three-hundred-thirty-four-sextillion molecules in one milliliter of water..._

I tried to do some more mental math including logarithms in finding how long it would take to grasp one milliliter's worth of molecules. Three-hundred-thirty-four _sextillion_... Twenty-one zeros. And so, logarithm of 3.34 times 10 to the 22nd power base two equals "X". _Shit, I can't do that mental math..._ I opened my eyes and my reiatsu seemed to close back into me, like I was quickly inhaling a large volume of air in one quick breath. "Is there some way I can get my hands on a scientific calculator?!" I shouted. A void opened up above my hands, and plopped down a TI-30. A plain scientific calculator. "Thanks, Raynes-taichō!" This time, a void spat out a folded piece of paper. _Don't mention it._

_What are you doing? _Shionari asked. _What is that?_

"I am doing some math with something called a 'calculator'. It's a tool developed in the World of the Living. I pressed the calculator's "ON" key near the bottom and typed in the data as such: "log(3.34(10^22))/log(2)". The result: "74.14419429".

A little over seventy-four seconds.

About minute and fourteen seconds to connect to one milliliter's worth of water.

I threw the calculator down in frustration, which seemed to sink beneath the sand. "The spread is too slow; I'm connecting to molecules in exponents of two each second! Isn't there some way to make it faster?"

_It was much faster than I expected, _Shionari said with a tinge of amazement. _I expected at least two minutes for a milliliter's worth. _There was a pause. _Your reiatsu has expanded much more than I thought. _

"But isn't there a drawback to this reiatsu spread?" I asked. "I wouldn't be able to mask my presence very effectively, unless if I were to contain it somehow."

_Control yourself. I'm sure the Hollows attacked you because of your constant omnipresence. If you were to contain your reiatsu, you would probably feel as small as a mouse; alternatively feel like a god if it were all released. Mind you, you wouldn't be able to control that volume of water._

"Maybe sometime later?"

_After strenuous work, of course. But you don't want that..._

"Unless I strive for it. But that kind of power; I would be able to submerge the world under thirty-three feet of water if I called down the entire atmosphere and condensed it into liquid water. I can manipulate the temperature or structure of water, can I?"

_What Dragon Deity does not have full control over their element?_

* * *

><p>Rosche fell face-first into the grass for what seemed to be her fiftieth time. After an irritated sigh, she dusted herself off from the loose blades of grass from her shihakusho and set her feet on the thin pillar of rock, followed by raising one foot to the side. After a deep breath, Rosche took yet another plummet to the earth. "God-damn!" she cursed aloud, causing Kaminarino Hyōji to jump in surprise.<p>

_You're not balancing correctly,_ the bird said with a squawk. _You aren't shifting your center of gravity at all._ Apparently, the bird's moral of balance was "balance, or you will fall; no exceptions".

"The hell is that supposed to mean?!" Rosche said with a scowl as well as angrily brushing a few leaves off her shoulder.

_Kind of unexpected for you to outburst like that,_ the bird said, merely rubbing his talon against his beak.

"Well, of course I would outburst like that; I just spent the last hour or so trying to balance on one foot, and managing for only ten seconds at most. Ha, two minutes..." Rosche snorted before angrily settled in a seat under the rock's shade.

_What are you doing?_

"Resting... I think I'm going to break something if this keeps up." Rosche took a breath before speaking again. "Hyōji... have you noticed Anson's change lately?"

_What do you mean?_

"He seems a bit more serious, yet laid-back at the same time. It wasn't like this two weeks ago... and it's starting to bother me."

It was about fifteen years ago, when Rosche had been admitted into the Fifth Division. The first one she noticed was Anson. While everyone in the Division was a worker, he was a slacker or just a person who didn't care much of working. It was later that Captain Aizen at the time appointed him to help Rosche around with a Shinigami's duty, however he did with disdain. Yet later, Anson later became a very good friend.

The only sign of him being a worker was doing reconnaissance missions by venturing into Hueco Mundo and the hiding places of bountied Hollows. Anson would randomly disappear; Rosche would then be told that Anson had gone recon in some Hollow hideout, either gathering information or assassination mission. He was usually back within the next few hours.

"Onmitsukidō wants to recruit me or restrict me," Anson said, "since I'm able to do these so quickly." He would then leave without a word to his room. However, no one bothered him.

Anson agreed to let Rosche on one of these missions, one that involved eliminating a Hollow faction replicating Aizen's Arrancarization. Anson and Rosche ventured out into the frigid District Sixties, where the nearby villages had been cleansed of souls. "No Reiatsu," Anson said, "so no Shunpo, no Kidō, no nothing. We want to evade as many as possible, if not all of them."

The land was ravaged with cliffs, crevices, and ravines. Rosche understood it would be a pain to not navigate around using Shunpo, but understood that if she had to survive, she would have trust Anson. But Anson, the one who halfheartedly did things, didn't really give a care, spent some few months away, couldn't participate in the fight with Aizen, and the only high-ranking Shinigami who didn't contribute to placing reiatsu into the blade of restoring Ichigo's powers?

That thought finished crossing her mind before she fell into a crevice and almost fell into a rushing torrent below. No shunpo, she reminded herself, but wasn't able to reach for the closest branch. Anson then poked his head into the crevice and called down "Too short?"and the "short monologues" began, but he had grown a little more considerate to his work after Rosche rewarded him with a well-placed kick upon completing the special op.

But that was then. Anson didn't joke around as much. He was more serious about the coming invasive forces than his special ops. He spent in his room late at night mulling over things, rather than sleeping. His sudden change in character confused the Fifth Division, to which his answer was "It is the Beginning of the End."

_Are you done resting? _Hyōji asked, half-impatiently. _Don't tell me you're gonna take advantage of this infinite-time and spent all your time sleeping as much as Anson did._

"Haha," Rosche replied nonchalantly, "I wish..." Rosche reluctantly rose to her feet and onto the rock, practicing that standard balancing act once again by raising her left foot. _I've been serious about this kind of thing already, but Anson has just realized the__ magnitude of this war. Yet it seems though I don't match up to him... but that is stupid! Who can't surpass Anson?! _Rosche's balance wobbled to her left, but a small tilt of her right ankle to the right momentarily stabilized her balance.

_There are going__ to be many more falls after this one too..._ Rosche thought darkly as she switched her feet.

* * *

><p>"My connection rate has doubled; so what?"<p>

I had been mediating in a pool of spring water for two hours at five minute intervals with a minute of exiting the water, then drying myself by expelling a burst of reiatsu and taking a rest on dry land. Fifty minutes of meditation and ten bursts... I felt tired, so Shionari let me check my progress.

"Well still, thirty-five seconds a milliliter, but that's still too slow."

_We're dealing with water vapor here,_ Shionari said. _Unlike liquid water, water vapor is harder to bring together without heat. Of course it is slow to begin with; exactly why we are practicing this treatment._

"Well it's been two hours since, and I had only achieved double my original time... the next is going to leave me in a growth of 2 connections per second-squared. Only in... some ten or twenty years would I achieve over a milliliter every second, and that's still too little. It would be a while before I reach as much as some forty gallons per sec." I sighed and slumped my shoulders. "Pace isn't enough."

_Besides, there is little water in the atmosphere of Hueco Mundo. This exercise is to help hasten the connections of those sparse water __deposits. _Shionari shifted in his position. _Unless you have some other way to greatly increase the water volume in an instant, other than bringing gallons upon gallons of water with you into that desert._

"You seem to know a lot about Hollows and their world..." I muttered as my response. I couldn't register anything else.

_That's the advantage of being a spirit; we retain all memory from the time in which we are formed. We reside in both Shinigami and Hollows: or just be dormant power. If you remember the Arrancars from Aizen's Rebellion, they had Zanpakutō as well, though they were inclusions of their own power._

"So... since all Zanpakutō have a spirit form, Hollows are just a physical fusion between the soul..."

_With all reason abandoned, yes, though Arrancars have part of that reason reattained... but how is this relevant to our training?_

"It like it was just a little history or psychology lesson as a break." I seated myself upon the rock, delving into the nanoscopic world of molecules. I laid my eyes upon the liquid embodiment of Shionari before starting the connections.

_So... this was what the teachers back home called the "soul"..._

* * *

><p>Anson was roused from his sleep as he felt a disturbance ripple through the dimension. He was situated underneath a stone overhang of sandstone, having dozed by retreating to shade. The ground slowly opened beside him, accompanied by a quick wave of heat and a rolled up piece of parchment. Anson calmly plucked the parchment from the ground and unfurled it, reading its contents.<p>

_Friend,_

_I have stayed behind enemy lines, and have finally taken this opportunity to send our messages. Indeed, the Hollow King has acquired his prisoner, just as the events had originally taken place. However, he has been lenient toward her, and has allowed her to roam the grounds freely. In addition, she is under my supervision, so she is guaranteed to be safe. It is up to you on whether Strawberry is to be informed of this._

_But be careful. The King's power grows with each passing day. It is best if we strike quickly while we maintain our elements of surprise. The only drawback or advantage, depending on how you see it, is that the King is staging the battle in Hueco Mundo._

_Speaking of the headquarters, they are above the sky over Las Noches. The Hueco Mundo as we know it is actually a smaller insert; the real Hueco Mundo is above the former's sky. However, the only way to reveal the tower is to incorporate a miniscule amount of Hollow reiatsu in your reserves. I have no idea how I shall be able to help you thus without giving away my position._

_Best regards,  
>7<em>

_He's faring well... _Anson thought. _Then again, time is of the essence. But I won't be able to affect the Material Worlds while I'm turtling here..._

_So therefore I must train Kai and Rosche not only their Bankai, but advanced Ki__dō and Hakuda technique... all the while mastering the Zettaikai..._ Anson looked up at his artificial sky, the clouds slowly creeping across the blue background.

Anson lifted Jikan-Tekina Munashii's morphed blade form and spoke into the microphone piece: "Sundown in two hours, report back to Sakiruma Plateau by then. Repeat, sundown in two hours." Anson let his arm fall to his side as he sighed.

_Shit's just starting to get real._ Anson flipped over the parchment and conjured an ink pen, jotting down a quick reply: _Thank you for the info. However, Strawberry will not be informed of the prisoner's status; it may cause distrust._

_As for the Hollow reiatsu, I will manage that. We have found our alternate catalyst._

_-Divine Son_

Anson smirked as he finished his note and dropped it toward the ground. The earth swallowed it up, knowing the carrier will just see the paper be spit back up in just what seemed like a second.

Anson looked up at the sky again. _Congratulations, Kai. You have just been anonymously __selected for what will be the greatest battle between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo._

* * *

><p><em>I guess it's going to be a matter of time before that balance act is achieved, <em>Hyōji commented after Rosche's ninety-ninth counted fall. Though the high number of falls, her balance had become exceptionally better, and was able to hold her balance for over three minutes.

Rosche dusted herself off. "Finally... I can stop being masochistic. God, it hurts..."

_Sundown in two hours, report back to Sakiruma Plateau by the__n. Repeat, sundown in two hours._ An announcement from Anson.

"So what's gonna happen in the next two hours?"

Hyōji bobbed his head up and down in amusement. _Would you rather walk to sate your fear of __heights__ or would you rather do some whip training to __sate your fear for heights?_

Rosche's face blanched a few shades. "Great. There's a way in which I won't die, right?"

_I'm not going to stop you from using Hohō to situate yourself in the air. Besides, it looks like great weather for a few skydiving lesson__s... _Hyōji said sarcastically.

"That wasn't funny."

_Rosche, you know I have a detestable sense of humor, hm? _The bird hopped down into the tall grass, firing his electrically charged feathers to create a dirt trail. _Let's get going, shall we?_

"We have two hours of walking?" Rosche asked.

_Hey... early is on time; on time is late._ If Hyōji was human, he would have given a large wolfish grin. Rosche grumbled under her breath as she trailed after her Zanpakutō.

_Someday, I'm gonna regret saying that I'm go__ing to cook him on a spit roast, _Rosche thought,_ because indeed, his sense of humor is downright detestable._

* * *

><p>"Time to pack up," I said. "I'm done for the day." Shionari circled around me once to gather the moisture from my clothes. Sitting in water was not one of my favorite pastimes."<p>

_We have two hours, _Shionari argued. _Are you sure you aren't going to take this time to get as m__uch training done as possible?_

"Hey, we have a lot of time. I'm sure that a month would be like a few minutes in real-time, so even if it takes us ten years, two hours would have passed. Not to jinx myself or anything, I doubt that the Hollow King is going to send every last Hollow in the Hueco Mundo to Soul Society."

Shionari looked downcast. _Prioritize your actions, _he said sternly. _What you decide is more important shall be done, but things you deem irrelevant will not be achieved. If you have the mind__set that you will lose, or not obtain experience, you will have just wasted your time. I want you to bear that in mind._

I said nothing as I walked back to the plateau, with Shionari's words blotting out almost every other thought process in my mind.


	19. 18: Expecting the Unexpected

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part III: Ascension Arc**

**Chapter 18: Expecting the Unexpected**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>After an hour of walking through the dense underbrush of forest, I finally caught a glimpse of Anson at the snapshot of Sakiruma Plateau, menially tending a fire. Two logs had been hauled over as seating in front of the fire. The Fifth Captain waved at me as I neared him and I raised a hand in return.<p>

"Rosche is making her way back as well," Anson said. "How'd it go?"

"I'd say it was a ton of waiting and sitting around, doing nothing," I replied. "I think I'm going to need lots of time before I can effectively use Bankai."

"It takes time," he assured. "Remember, it will take an average of ten to twelve years to master it. Anyways, where's the short one...?" He turned into the opposite direction and looked at Rosche standing directly behind him. "Oh... hi..."

Rosche mercilessly kicked him in the shin, causing him to go down once again. "How many times do I have to get it into your head that the pain is gonna stop when you stop calling me 'short'?!"

"When does this usually happen?" I asked Kaminarino Hyōji.

_Periodically. Average is thrice a day. The bird cocked his head at Rosche when she turned from Anson._

"What?" she demanded.

_Nothing, _was the bird's curt reply. _Anyways, where is Shionari?_

I looked around. "He... he was right behind me. Now I'm not sure whether he..."

"Hyōji," Anson interrupted, apparently recovered from his painful episode, "mind lighting a fire?" The bird hesitated, but launched an electrified feather at the kindling, promptly starting a small fire.

_Surely you could have done it yourself, _he said.

"I could," Anson replied. "But I didn't feel like doing so." He cleared his throat before he pulled a few bags from behind his log; plastic and cellophane. "Ritz Bits anyone?"

"World of the Living food," I muttered, taking a bag and ripping it open. The fire crackled. I bit into the cracker, finally remembering the taste of the food I hadn't eaten in so long.

"As for Shionari," Anson said, "she seems to have reverted to her Zanpakutō form."

"Her?" I asked, hearing that Rosche had said the exact same thing. She seemed equally surprised as I was.

"Mhmm; Shionari is female. Kurotsuchi-taichō, Unohana-taichō and I found that out when you were having your... episode." I frowned at the event. I had completely put that behind myself and nearly forgot. I had intended it to stay that way. "Anyways, you thought Shionari to be male?"

"That's what I thought when I heard his... her voice." I took another Ritz Bit and popped it into my mouth. "How'd you know?"

"Kurotsuchi's deductions," Anson said. "They're nothing too amazing, though he could enlighten us if he would participate in a few of our debates instead of tinkering away on his inventions." Anson chuckled under his breath. "Aside from that, how went Bankai training?"

_Rosche fell a lot,_ Hyōji said._ I'm thinking of training her heights factor in a while._ The bird looked at Rosche. _Though I can only hope she won't faint during training..._

"Shut up Hyōji," Rosche said. "It's not heights that scare me; it's what happens after I fall."

_Paranoia of falling is exactly what acrophobia is, _Hyōji stated.

"Though it will take longer for you to hit the ground than I..." Anson joked. Rosche picked up a stick from the bonfire and threw it at Anson's head. He deftly dodged the burning wood as it soared over the plateau's edge. "That nearly hit me!" Anson cried.

"That's because I missed," Rosche said indignantly. "Hope that tells you to shut up." She slumped back into her seat with arms crossed.

"How long has this been going on?" I asked in wonder.

"Quite some number of years," Anson said proudly. "This is probably going to be the newest 'most hits taken by Rosche in a day' record, given that these weeks to months are actually just a psychological effect on our bodies."

"Isn't that supposed to be a bad thing?"

"In a way, maybe, but it doesn't mind me much because I'm..."

"OP," Rosche cut in. "You always say that. 'I don't have to do it 'cuz I'm OP,' 'I get to do it because I'm OP,' 'I do it because I'm OP!'" Rosche huffed angrily.

"That wasn't what I was going to say," Anson said, "but OP works too." He gave Rosche a tender, albeit sarcastic, smile at which she responded by shooting him a vehement glare.

I had finished the bag of Ritz Bits and set it beside me. I didn't have much to contribute to the conversation, since it had averted from Bankai discussion to Rosche's height. I set my head on a palm and turned toward the darkening sunset. I yawned, though ended with a sigh.

"Something to share, Kai?" Anson asked.

"Nothing," I replied. "I just find it hard to reply." I got up from the log. "I'm thinking I'm gonna go sleep now; kinda dark for anything else and I'm exhausted."

"How about Shionari?" asked Anson. "Nothing about her Bankai state?"

"From what I think, you can just imagine it to be exactly like Hitsugaya-taichō's Bankai," I said, remembering from the Shinigami Academy entrance quiz. "Only that it is water-based, rather than ice." I turned toward the tent, spotting a small piece of kindling on the material. I blew the piece off, it descending into darkness. I removed the top portion of my shihakusho, folded it, and set it as a pillow. I laid myself in the sleeping bag where I had woken up earlier "today".

Many days all into one. As much as I wanted to laugh, I couldn't. I sighed instead, yawned once, then shut my eyes. It probably wasn't long until either Rosche or Anson entered the tent and took the other sleeping bag.

Before I fell asleep though, I heard Anson's voice. It was a whisper, but I could make out one phrase: "When Ichigo leaves, the End of the Beginning as passed... the Beginning of his End will come..." There was a wave of heat, and it almost felt as if I was knocked out by that, rather than my own exhaustion.

* * *

><p><em>Itsumo hitori de aruiteta,<br>Furikaeru to minna wa tooku..._

_I have always walked (this lonely path) all by myself,  
>When I turned back, everyone was far away...<em>

_I saw myself standing there, walking down a path that seemed to envision the one that could have been from Aoi Tada's _Brave Song_. I was walking, stumbling sometimes, as I saw people hurry by me. I caught __glimpses;__ just a split-second's look at__ people whom I had left against my will._

_There were friends from before I moved; some who had forgotten about me, while some I had broken ties with since I no longer fit in with them. Along strode past game avatars of people, mostly old RuneScape graphic avatars, of friends who responded my greeting private-messages with "Who are you?" Then came the few girls whom I had liked once upon a time; Joyce and Lydia included. They all walked quickly for I knew what reason, they had already disappeared behind the glare of the sun._

_I wanted to wake up, but I wasn't able to lift the trance just yet. I wanted to wake up because the sight of "walking down the empty street - on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams" was too emotional to me. It contained my past failures, old grievances that told me inadequacy and loneliness._

_Then I looked back again. _A book, looking up at me..._ I blinked twice. I saw myself pick it up and read __its__ title: "The Greatest Salesman in the World." I remember._

_My inadequacy was brought upon me by myself. "I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins..." I remembered the book, smiling warmly to myself as I remembered the emotion called Optimism._

_I said the word aloud to myself to see the book fade to dust a__nd be carried away by the wind. I looked forward to see the sun had risen up, and saw that the path bent down. _"Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, but success hides behind the next bend in the road."

_I climbed toward the top, despite tr__ipping and actually feeling pain, though not physical but emotional, but I trudged on. _I will persist until I succeed.

_I reached the top, seeing a path that gently sloped toward ground level. There were current friends, from before I became a Plus Soul and came to Soul Society; there were Brandon, Ildya, Anson, Rosche and Byakuya standing among them. They encouraged me onward, sending me ahead with a new hope. The sky darkened then, while I neared a dense forest that stood around the path. I took a deep breath, hearing a voice say "It's done, you've done enough and you deserve some rest." But I felt my walk wasn't finished yet._

_But I ventured into the forest, trying not to mind the branches and thorns scratching against my face, arms, and legs, ignoring the strange sounds and the eyes that flickered in and out of sight from shadow._

_I was about to stop, about to give up in that forest and stay there, until I heard a voice encourage me. "Almost," it said, as I felt a hand take my hand. I looked up and saw the face of the blue-haired girl from a few days ago, before my amnesia. She smiled at me and nodded forward. "Let's go," she said._

_The forest seemed to brighten up as she said that, and we ventured forward. My mind's eye watched the two of us walk deeper, yet out of the forest, as the picture faded into white._

_"I just want you to know," her voice called out, "that no matter what, you lived life according to your own standards. You may hate the world for its cruelty and hidden kindness, but remember that you succeeded._

_"I want you to promise me that you remember this. In your new life, just remember to do the same. Persist until you succeed." I wanted to answer, but no words exited my mouth._

* * *

><p>I stared at my hand, wondering about the dream, a week ago. It was a dream, I was sure of it, but the hand felt so real. I chewed on my lip, though that didn't bring my attention back to Kidō training.<p>

_Kai! _cried Shionari. _Are you gonna stop standing around?_

"Sorry, I've been thinking about stuff lately. It's kind of hard to practice." I sighed, clenching a fist and opening it, exercising my fingers in a way. "It felt too real."

_You're still disturbed? You stopped ranting about me actually being female despite my male-sounding voice in Spirit form a few days ago, but still bothered by a ethereal hand?_

"Ethereal hands while I'm of the ether myself?" I retorted. "Next thing you know, there's an Afterlife after this... no, just rebirth. I can be forever dead or forever living."

_A__gain, a__ccording to the monotheistic religions, there is no death or anomalies in Heaven,_ Shionari stated. _So..._

"So this afterlife isn't part of any religion? Not the Japanese Shinto religion?"

_While there are Shinigami, these "death gods" are still susceptible to death. It isn't a religion, and we are not worshipped, and the Spirit King only governs the Spirit World, and so we are technically... atheistic._

"That is a lot to take in... too many loopholes..." I performed the Jinzen technique to check my progress in molecule collection. _I will persist until I succeed._ Reciting that personal verse to myself hardened my resolve, and I had been able to concentrate on the one task. I had expected less over the past few days, but I was able to connect a milliliter or water every three seconds; 111 sextillion molecules per second. In a few months, I would be able to gather enough to control enough water for two Shionari's.

I let go of the connections and sighed. The numbers and ratios floated in my head, with no way to get out. _Persistence until success... _I thought, _it'll be a while until then... and the numbers can finally leave me._

I walked over to a pool of freshwater not too deep into the forest and raised a hand. The water followed my hand with a thin pillar, as if a fountain had been randomly sprung. I used my other hand and brought it away from the right while curving upward in the shape of a C, to which the water responded by mimicking the movement. From my right hand, I raised my index finger and lowered my middle finger, which caused small protrusions to grow out from the interior of the C.

I moved my fingers around to add detail to the water-based sculpture, forming a somewhat crude rendition of a dragon's head. Water sculpting was a form of practice for me to manipulate water, or so Shionari said. The better and faster I was able to shape something, the more versatile I would be in battle, as I could then make weapons out of water and freeze it, using my Reiryoku to reinforce it.

I allowed the sculpture to fall and returned to the beach. I sat upon the rock facing the sea and stared out into the horizon. "I've been thinking for a while now," I said. "I thought I had retained all the memories from when I was alive."

_You thought you had? _Shionari asked.

"But the sequence in which I remember them isn't chronological. They could have jumped from this day to a day into the past, and then to somewhere in between. And there's this one person who looks very similar to your human form, only that her name escapes me..." I snapped off the twig of a nearby tree and started drawing swirls and curves in the sand.

_You've figured that out?_ Shionari asked somewhat softly.

"I was able to put two and two together. But you only materialize at your own will when we're alone together; is something wrong with you and the rest of society?"

Shionari turned her head and stayed silent.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

_No._

* * *

><p><em>The view is awfully nice up<em>_ here._

Rosche was sitting on a ledge on the mountain that Hyōji had Anson bring up. It was the fifth day in a row in which Rosche had spent at least four hours daily scaling the mountain. She declined initially, but Hyōji pestered her enough to keep at the training. Rosche was a bit frightened of her transformation of form, but more nervous about climbing the heights.

That was days ago, and Rosche enjoyed looking over the horizon. She looked toward Sakiruma, in which she spotted Anson performing Kidō. She felt no Reiatsu being exerted, and when concentrating hard enough, she felt Kai's signature instead that of her Captain. _Strange... am I hallucinating then?_

_That's Anson alright, _Hyōji assured her. _His Reiatsu is as compressed as could be. He probably do__esn't want to disturb the Reiatsu flows here, since he is a Captain. If he flaunted his Reiatsu, you surely would have lost your balance. He's hiding it on purpose._

"He must have done this on his recon missions," Rosche said. "Assassin or no, he must have used this 'compression technique' to mask his presence. I can't feel him at all."

_You are familiar with Kidō, but not adept enough to feel even the slightest hints. But Zanpakutō are different in that, given that we gauge your abilities before teaching techniques to our master. I haven't taught you everything... yet._

Rosche frowned. She stood up and faced the rock wall in front of her. She spotted a few jutted rocks above her head, grabbing two with her hands before hoisting herself up. Using Hado One, Shō, she propelled herself higher, catching the edge of another tight ledge. She swung a foot into a cubby within the rock face and pushed herself onto the ledge.

This ledge, however, was much thinner than the last, and Rosche's toes stuck out from the little edge. She looked downward, left wondering how long it would take for her to reach the ground. Rosche glanced up, seeing that the rock slanted outward, creating something like eaves over her head; no climbing. Rosche dragged her feet sideways along the path, careful to slide her sandals over smaller rocks along the ledge. "How much longer?"

_Almost to the top,_ Hyōji told Rosche.

"It's almost impossible to know since you told Anson to change the mountain paths." As the words left her mouth, the ledge gave away under her. Rosche barely yelped before she called out her Shikai and lashed at a protruding rock. The whip was pulled taut, and Rosche pulled the whip downward to vault herself toward the rock. She caught the edge of that rock with her left hand. "This is why I hate rock climbing."

_Though your reflex was much __quicker__ than last time, _the bird said, amused.

Rosche swung herself onto the rock before calling back her Zanpakutō. She sighed as the spirit of Kaminarino Hyōji hovered beside her. "And the heights aren't fazing me as much anymore... are we done, or am I spending another week climbing?"

_You're done. But tomorrow will be an even greater challenge._ Rosche could imagine Hyōji grinning darkly... only if he were human.

* * *

><p>Anson exited through his portal, into the Real Dimension. He pulled out a small hourglass, rigged so that all of the sand poured out in three seconds. Three seconds passed. <em>Successful, once again, <em>Anson thought.

_Why wouldn't it __be successful? _Jikan-Tekina Munashii argued from inside his mind. _I _am _the manipulator of time and portals._

_I'm only checking. Don't get so wound up._ A second later, Byakuya appeared at his side, accompanied by Captain Soi Fon. "Right on time. Socrius and Hibiscus are already inside the portal."

"Kidō training with Kuchiki-taichō," Soi Fon commented, "and Hohō and Hakuda training with me. Just as we discussed earlier?"

Anson nodded. "I'll watch over your physical selves while you are in stasis in Jikan-Tekina Munashii. It will only be a few minutes in real time. You have your hourglasses?"

The two captains held their plastic replicas of Anson's hourglass up; Byakuya's on the hem of his tekkou at his wrist, while Soi Fon pulled out hers on a retractable cord on a collar on her neck.

"Really...?" Anson said, facepalming.

"What?!" she said, flustered with her face turning a shade of pink.

"You _really_ are obsessed with that..._ cat_," Byakuya stated, almost spitting out the last word.

"You're just jealous, rich boy," Soi Fon countered. Byakuya only huffed arrogantly.

"Let's get things started then, shall we?" Anson pulled out Jikan no Uranaishi and stated his magic word. "_Bankai_."


	20. 19: Calm Before Their Storm

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part III: Ascension Arc**

**Chapter 19: Calm Before Their Storm**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>Anson breathed in once. Sakiruma Plateau was in sight, but the surrounding terrain became an island, given the effects of his Bankai. It was twilight hour; the sun hiding behind the mountain in Rosche's direction. "You aren't knocked out because you anticipated being taken into the realm," he said.<p>

"I figured that," Byakuya said.

"Socrius is to the west, Hibiscus is to the east. Or, Captain Kuchiki, are you going to be teaching Kidō to the two of them as public lesson?"

"Two simultaneously. It will be easier for me thus. How much longer until they return?"

"This realm's nightfall," Anson replied. He looked around. "Where's Captain Soi Fon?"

"You won't believe it yourself."

"Yeah, I most certainly believe that the Captain of the Second Division won't be stuck in a tree..." Anson walked into the shade of an oak and mercilessly kicked its trunk.

"Umph!" Soi Fon grunted as she plummeted toward the ground. "About time you help me..."

"The ninja doesn't know how to get out of a tree..." Anson said thoughtfully. "I expected you to be a bit more...flexible. Especially if you were the student of a cat."

"Whatever" was her reply and she promptly walked away.

"She's somehow become incapable," Anson said with a tinge of worry. "I hope her combat skills aren't deficient."

Byakuya huffed. "Her 'pranks' don't humor me, even a little."

"You're too serious for your own good, Kuchiki."

* * *

><p>I finally allowed my sculptures of Lelouch vi Britannia and Zero of the Code Geass franchise to dissipate into the water I had brought up from the lake. My connection rate had barely reached a milliliter every one-and-a-half seconds, but I had decided to retire. The sun was barely touching the horizon. <em>Shall we go?<em> Shionari asked.

"Yeah, let's go." I started toward the Sakiruma as I felt a familiar reiatsu. _Who... could have entered the dimension? Could someone have infiltrated...?_

_Anson most likely left the Dimension to allow them in, _Shionari answered my thoughts, seemingly calling the place as if it were an actual place. _Two reiatsu signatures, I sense, both of whom you __are acquainted with. The one you sense, however, is one who you've been with for quite some time._

"Speaking in riddles?" I asked. I stepped over a protruding root of a tree. "It is much better to just tell me."

_You'll see them soon enough._

* * *

><p>Rosche looked at the setting sun, admiring the mixture of colors reflecting off the ocean and the gradient of cobalt blue and yellow-orange of the sky. <em>I stop coming up here tomorrow,<em> she thought. She stood and looked over to the Sakiruma Plateau. "Dammit, I could have spent time writing or something..."

_I'm sure people use their Zanpakutō to do various things,_ Hyōji replied. _I am most certainly against you plucking my feathers to use __as quill pens._

"Where's the paper then?" Rosche laughed. "Besides, that does sound like a great idea in the future..." If Hyōji were human, he would have either blanched or face-palmed for giving Rosche the idea.

_I'm going._ The bird soared down the mountain, leaving Rosche alone.

"I was just kidding!" Rosche called out, leaping over the edge of the mountain. After about seven seconds of free-fall, Rosche generated a platform of reishi to stop her fall and then ran to catch up with Hyōji, whom was not too far away. "I'm not going to take your feather as a writing tool! It's probably going to dematerialize along with you anyways."

Hyōji didn't answer Rosche's statement. _I feel Kuchiki and Soi Fon with Anson,_ he remarked. _Why a__re they here...?_

"All I know is that he's definitely planning something. Ever since he left on the covert op before Aizen's betrayal. Things have suddenly become more confusing..." Rosche sighed, stepping over a gnarled root.

_Things have always been co__nfusing,_ Hyōji said. _You just hadn't realized it yet._

* * *

><p>"Raynes-taichō!" I called out. "Raynes-taichō!"<p>

Anson came from behind a slab of rock. "God, that taichō suffix is annoying the hell out of me," he whined. "Just call me Captain, dammit. You don't have to go around speaking Japanese all the time either. Perhaps you've forgotten English?"

I thought back. Yes. The letters from Europe and formed to make words. Not strokes for one syllable. My brain suddenly became filled with words and letters, not Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji.

_No, not Kanji,_ I remembered. _Chinese characters._

"Captain Anson..." I spoke, softly to test my voice. It had a hint of Japanese pronunciation in it, but was nonetheless understandable. _I may have to take a few days o__r weeks to rid myself of the pronunciation..._

"Yes...?" Anson asked. "Just gonna say, no matter what language is spoken, you can understand them. Unless that "language" is Gibberish, but that's more like making random sounds than speaking." He straightened his haori. "Now, for the surprise, I have brought teachers to tutor you and Rosche."

"What about me?" Rosche asked, walking up to her captain.

"I said, teachers are here to tutor. To tutor advanced Zankensoki. Each will teach two of the four styles of combat. However, you two are already familiar with these two 'teachers'." Anson gestured from behind the rock and out they stepped. Kuchiki-taichō and Soi Fon-taichō.

_Whoops, Captain Kuchiki and Captain Soi Fon. Gotta start dropping those suffixes, __and replace them with the prefix... so 'sotaichō' becomes Head-Captain...? _"Captain Kuchiki?" I asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Raynes-taichō informed us of bringing a few individuals to teach them how to harness Bankai," he said. "However, he himself is unwilling to teach Zankensoki, and so here are I and Soi Fon-taichō." Byakuya seemed to have difficulty saying Soi Fon's name. "So, here we are to tutor you, and Hibiscus, after the Bankai training session."

"Rich Boy here will teach Kidō and Zanjutsu," Soi Fon said, "while I will go over Hakuda and Hohō. You're looking at two masters in the arts."

"Do not go calling names," Byakuya said. "Un-etiquette, and unneeded."

"You never bother to add little details to help spice things up for some entertainment... you probably bore your division with your continuous monotony."

"He does not," I objected. "Everyone in the Sixth Division is capable of acting how Captain Kuchiki wants us to act."

"Exactly," Byakuya stated, "Besides, the Second Division probably is always standing by for orders, just because it depends 'on the fate of the mission'."

"Okay, guys..." Anson said. "Let's stop the bickering and start the training. You've already wasted nearly a quarter of a second in real-time, not that it means anything to all of us." Soi Fon scrunched up her face at Anson. "Captain Soi Fon, please sit at the campfire. You may demonstrate your techniques after Captain Kuchiki. Go ahead." Soi Fon walked away with an angry air, while Byakuya beckoned Rosche and I to follow him.

"Hibiscus," he said, "what is the highest level Kidō you have performed to date?"

Rosche raised a hand over her mouth. "Uhh... Bakudo Seventy-seven; usually to contact Anson during some duo Recon missions... and Hadō Fifty-four for some circumstances call for breach scenarios during Recon. But other than that, I don't recall any other that are higher."

Byakuya tilted his head. "I'm sure Kidō hasn't been part of your agenda," he told me. "Still Enkōsen and Sōkatsui then... However, if I were to allow Rosche to learn Hohō and Hakuda technique with Soi Fon first, you would still be behind."

"I don't mind relearning stuff," Rosche said. "I don't remember much about remembering much about Haien or Tenteikūra either."

"Then it's settled," Byakuya said. "Tomorrow, we shall start with Kidō of importance, all above Bakudo Thirty-nine and Hadō Thirty-three. We will first be focusing on training your defense first; memorize these for tomorrow's 'lesson'." Byakuya pulled out two tracts of paper from inside his shihakusho and passed one each to Rosche and me.

_"Walls which none can climb, trenches which none can pass over. Nothing shall penetrate what is airtight. Bakudo Eighty-one, Dankū."_

I remembered the Kidō Corps and the Dankū barriers during the first two attempted infiltrations of the Soul Society. The walls were able to withstand the reiatsu of so many Hollows... all but the Vasto Lorde.

"This is one of the few spells in which every able Shinigami must at least be able to perform adequately," Byakuya said. "It is a requirement to effortlessly create a _Dankū_ barrier, that which can withstand at least four other Kidō Corps members' Hadō that are Level fifty or less, in order to be enlisted in active service for the Kidō Corps. If you do not understand, just know that it is too important to ignore."

Rosche and I nodded to show our understanding.

"Your 'class' with me starts tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Sy had brought out a piece of parchment and started to write again. As he was about to Cero-write his message, he saw Ez from the corner of his eye, slowly approaching him. "The Hollow King has news," he said. "He has called all of the Messengers to the Table, and I hear that the news is not going to be pretty."<p>

"Then let us make haste." Sy hid his parchments within his garments, and then briskly walked to the assembly room, though many referred to it as the Table.

He and Ez were nearly the last to sit down. "So, where is Hae?"

"She... will not be joining us." Everyone sat up straight as the King's reiatsu filled the room. He strode over to his seat at the far end of the table, his crown of shadows hovering over his face. "Many of you know of the... tragedy of what befell Hae within the last hour. Ez concludes that she was merely walking the perimeter of the grounds until she met someone... and died in battle. Ez, please tell me what you saw."

The Messenger stood up and was silent for a while. "Hae was outside the Southwest Tower when a figure clad in black mysteriously launched a semi-invisible attack at Hae. I was able to catch a bright flare at the edge of my vision, and I turned to see Hae engaging battle, though her flames were being diminished as they neared her adversary. I was moving as quickly as I could to provide support, but it was already her end. She was caught in what seemed like a dust devil, only more powerful to encase her and disrupt any means of reiatsu output. She then was vaporized; not faded as a Hollow normally would, but vaporized. The figure I was able to capture, and you would not believe as I believe." Ez snapped his fingers.

_Wait... Kurosaki couldn't have arrived in Hueco Mundo already...!_ Sy's mind started to ring in alarm. _Dammit..._ Sy pulled out a sheet of parchment and prepared to write the message of Ichigo's capture.

"I've done it...!" came a hysteric cry. "I finally proved my worth! He can no longer surpass me; I killed a Vasto Lorde! I killed a _Messenger_!" Two Adjuchas came, carrying a man with dark brown hair, messy and sand-ridiculed. The glasses that rested on his face no longer seemed to be able to fulfill their purpose, given the number of cracks in the lenses. But all on top of that, he wore a Shinigami's black shihakusho.

"Who are you, I ask again?" Ez asked the Shinigami.

"I am Tsubasa Daichi!" The Shinigami replied arrogantly. "I am the Sixth Division's Sixth Seat, and that ass-wipe Socrius Kai will never surpass me now!"


	21. 20: Positive, Negative: Neutral

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part III: Ascension Arc**

**Chapter 20: Positive, Negative; Neutral**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>"Captain Kuchiki," Anson said suddenly among the silence at the campfire. "I've just received a report; Tsubasa Daichi of your Division has been taken prisoner of Hueco Mundo." Byakuya's hand stopped as his marshmallow on a stick started to ignite. "Is something wrong?"<p>

"Not too much," he said, "I don't worry about him too much, but it is a concern of what he might do." He pulled the marshmallow out of the fire and blew out the flames. The stick was charred, though the marshmallow was reduced to a small black mass.

"However, the report states that he was able to kill one of the Messengers before capture. How about that?"

My hand stopped. _Did I hear that correctly? Daichi killing a Messenger?_

"Which one?"

Anson looked at a piece of hard paper, which seemed to have a few burn marks on its edges. "'Hae, the flame Lorde; she doesn't hesitate to use flames to burn her enemy to ashes.' It also states that she can raise the flames' temperature to a thousand degrees centigrade..." Anson glanced at me, "...more than enough to instantly vaporize water."

"I ought to thank him," I said sarcastically. Though I really didn't care what would happen to him. He was a pain to me, and it was for my better that he was no longer around.

"It hasn't been long since they've taken Rukia Kuchiki hostage," Anson said. "Now that they have another prisoner of war, I'm not sure whether the businesses of Soul Society will be kept secret. Tsubasa knows how things generally work, and some of those generalizations include our defense mechanisms."

"Not to mention," Rosche added, "he has a certain disharmony with Kai. I doubt Tsubasa will withhold information from the Hollows if it means a way to get rid of Kai." Rosche shifted uneasily, then prepared a marshmallow for roasting. "If he resorts to that, it will not only affect Kai, but everyone else. Kai is new to the Shinigami duties, and the Hollows probably won't deem him too much of a threat."

"I'm right here..." I said. "But, if I happen to master Bankai in time, that _would_ make me a threat, wouldn't it?"

"Any Shinigami will prove a threat with Bankai," Anson stated, "even a Shikai will suffice; Bankai just makes you more of one. It _is_ the most powerful of Zanpakutō forms, which is why it is imperative that you and Rosche learn it as soon as possible. Two more capable of achieving Bankai will greatly ensure our victory in this war."

"Along with the extra Zankensoki training, you will be much more deadly," Soi Fon added.

"I just hope so..." I mumbled to myself. I tossed the burnt stick in my hand into the fire. "I'm done for the day. All I know is that tomorrow is gonna be a long one."

* * *

><p>"How about you talk now?" The Messenger known as Kray threw someone against the prison room's wall, greatly startling Rukia. "Still not gonna, eh? I might have to chop off a few toes then." As he reached for his claymore sword, Ez grabbed his hand.<p>

"His Majesty told us not to bring permanent damage upon the prisoners," he said. "Besides, we can ask Sy for a Hollow that can dig into one's thoughts, instead of having to bloody the castle." Ez released Kray's hand, whom let it hang at his side.

"Tch," Kray said with a scowl. He and Ez left that cell, with Kray slamming the bars into place with a wide sweep of his hand. Rukia felt herself cringe at the sound that echoed through the hallway. She had a small urge to see who the person could be, one who could have deserved such unrefined treatment?

_They are Hollows,_ Rukia told herself, then confronted the figure in the cell. He was middle-aged, she could tell by the man's stubble. His hair was dark, and his eyes were hidden behind cracked glasses. What startled her more was the Shinigami shihakusho that he wore.

"You want something, Missy?" the man growled. "You don't look Hollow at all. What, they still let you Arrancars around? Thought they fully changed them or something."

His attitude reminded her of the rough classmates she met at the high school of Karakura. They too were unrefined and showed little to no respect. She tried the direct approach. "Kuchiki Rukia, Lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division of the Gotei Thirteen."

His face was at a loss for words for a second; given that his face merely contorted and his jaw shook, trying to form words. "Kuchiki-taichō's _sister_? What the hell are you doing here?!"

"What do you mean why am I here?" Rukia demanded in a slightly more louder tone. "The same reason you are, prisoner of war!"

"Then why the fuck do they let you out of your cell, have nice clothes, and allow you to come bash me around, hah?!"

The F-word stung Rukia, even though it had been the fifth time she heard it. "Ask the King! He let me around! Plus, I never came to bash you; you brought that on yourself!"

Out of nowhere, the blade of a large sword buried itself on the door frame of the Shinigami's cell. Rukia traced the blade to its wielding hand to realize she was face-to-face with Kray. The sword slowly parted from the wall as Kray spoke: "How much louder do you Shinigami have to be?!" The air seemed to weigh down on Rukia as a wave of Hollow reiatsu billowed out from the Messenger. "Have your Captains taught you that 'Silence is golden'? Or do Shinigami only teach you that Hollows are evil and must be destroyed?

"To Hell with their ignorance! They are all hypocrites; they allow their 'Visoreds' and despise the 'Arrancar' even though both are half-Hollow. So-"

Kray stopped as a wave of reiatsu came seemingly from nowhere, with the appearance of a scythe now curved around his neck. Rukia saw Sy at the scythe's handle. "That's enough, Kray."

"Sy..." Kray muttered.

"Collect your sword and leave. His Majesty does not take lightly of vandalism of his castle." Kray pulled his sword out of the frame and stalked away when Sy permitted. Rukia heard Kray utter the word "Traitor" as he left.

"Thank you... Sy," Rukia managed to say.

"Don't thank me every single time I send another Messenger away," he said. "Now there are two to keep track of..." Sy rested his scythe on his shoulder before he turned and began to leave.

"Why do you bother?" Tsubasa called out. "You're a Hollow, and we are Shinigami! Why do you bother protecting us?"

Sy stopped. "You two should be happy that the King has decreed me to be on your side instead of the others'," he said cryptically.

* * *

><p>After the daily Bankai conditioning, Rosche and I arrived at Sakiruma Plateau for Byakuya's Kidō training. I spotted his first reading his book, <em>End of Beginnings, Beginning of the End<em>. He snapped the book shut as Rosche and I approached him. He pointed at me and I barely had time to react to what happened next.

"_Byakurai_." A bolt of white lightning shot out from his finger. I outstretched my hands in front of me, one hand behind the other.

"_Enkōsen_!"

The spell collided into the condensed reishi shield, to which didn't explode, but rather was able to send me back quite some distance. My shield faltered, throwing me off balance, but managed to block the brunt of the Byakurai power. Apparently, the back of my head hit the ground. My vision flickered. "Ow..." I said.

"Captain Kuchiki!" Rosche demanded. "What was that for?"

"It was barely quarter of my usual power," he said. "Besides, it was to test his reaction time, though I intended for him to counter with Dankū." He snapped his fingers a couple of times. "But, a solid Enkōsen without stating Kidō level was quite surprising."

I walked up to my captain, the flickering gone from my eyes. "How _are_ we going to train Kidō exactly?"

"There will be no need to hone your Reiryoku," he said. "The two of you have decent enough Reiryoku, both of expected high-seated officers. The primary objective is to memorize the Kidō, and incantations if necessary."

I dug out the slip of paper which had the kotodama of Dankū on it. "Walls which none can climb," I said, "trenches which none can pass over. Nothing shall penetrate what is airtight..."

"Exactly," Byakuya said. "Memorize _that_."

"At least it's better than having to memorize whole chapters of the Bible like they do in _Ao no Exorcist_..." I said to myself, referring to yet another anime, which included combatants who recited certain verses to vanquish demons.

"Something to share?" Byakuya asked.

"Nothing... just a lapse from my lifetime..." I blinked. _Ao no Exorcist_? What's that? Is it like _Code Geass_? Am I going to start remembering others too?

"Socrius, put up a Dankū barrier," Byakuya ordered. I recited the kotodama and raised my hands outstretched in front of me. A thin layer of Kidō, about three meters wide, four meters tall, and about a centimeter thick, formed itself between me and Byakuya. I saw Byakuya nod his head before approaching me. He reached out toward me; his hand passed through the barrier. He then pulled his hand back, then pointed a finger at me.

"Hadō Four, _Byakurai_."

A jolt of white lightning erupted from his finger once again but struck against my Dankū barrier. The barrier shined as it moved in the light, swirling the lightning around and dispersing it vertically and horizontally.

Byakuya winced. He looked confused for a second. "Adequate," he stated. "Again, quarter of my power, and even with kotodama, your barrier falters ever so slightly. Practice so that it does not. Your Zanpakutō is Kidō-based, so she may be able to help you with that... and..."

He turned away and looked at Rosche. She recited the kotodama and erected her own barrier, and Byakuya tested its strength with his quarter-power Byakurai. It stood firmly, though the Byakurai did not disperse.

"I thought so," Byakuya said.

"Is dispersion something abnormal?" Rosche asked. "Or is cancellation abnormal?"

"Dispersion; Dankū is supposed to cancel the Reiryoku of whatever strikes it. There is some fault in your Reiryoku cancellation, though I know not what it means."

"Is that a problem?" I asked.

"Not one that detriments your ability to deflect attacks, but there is a chance to either accidentally maim an ally or maim a foe. It all depends on your position and or timing, but I would remedy your cancellation problem rather than bet on luck."

I nodded. "I will practice that."

"Hibiscus, I have no constructive criticism for you. I will allow the two of you to practice your Dankū barriers for a few weeks. For the next lesson, I don't wish to overload your minds with Kidō incantations, so I shall resort to a simpler form of combat; Zanjutsu."

Byakuya drew his sword. "Who wishes to be evaluated first?"

Neither me nor Rosche volunteered. I could tell why; Rosche was accustomed to combat with a whip. But my style depended on another person's movement, with counterattacks and reason. My strong point was creating moves, but not executing my next action. Improvisation was my strongest point, and creating new tactics against a person in whom I hadn't faced put me at a disadvantage more than at an advantage.

"Socrius, you try first."

I bit the inside of my lip as I made some distance between me and my captain. I slid the longsword from my hip and held it out in front of me, tip facing around forty-five degrees from the ground's angle. "Wrong," Byakuya said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"The Academy never taught, and never will teach, what Shinigami do when facing an opponent whom is not a Hollow. When facing a more clever adversary, never hold your sword out like that. What if..." Byakuya shunpo'ed behind me and pressed the flat of Senbonzakura against my neck. "...they manage to sneak behind you and trap you?" I jumped away, holding my sword up in my custom stance; feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and sword held at my right at shoulder height and top facing Byakuya. I waited for him to move.

After a few seconds, Byakuya asked, "What if the enemy's only objective is to buy time? He would have fulfilled his duty by stalling the first strike."

_He wants me to show my offensive skill,_ I thought. _What a pain..._ I took a breath before shunpo'ing forward and holding my sword out like a baseball bat. As I neared, I swung my sword, also while sticking my foot out to kick.

"Creative form," Byakuya said, blocking my blade with his while catching my foot in the palm of his left hand. "A double-pronged attack may prove more useful against a more bulky and slow opponent. Against quick opponents, one should have a large range and or a wide sweep; to be quicker produces a more desirable outcome." He dropped my foot and I fell to the ground.

"I'm falling more than usual..." I whined, picking myself back up. I sheathed my sword and retreated to sit on a nearby rock. "Is it Rosche's turn now?"

Byakuya sighed. "I was not yet finished... come back." I sighed. "This is a spar. So draw your sword."

* * *

><p>A week had passed in the Dimension. Anson, at the time, was a small distance away from Byakuya, Kai, and Rosche. He dug out a piece of paper and quickly scrawled a message onto it:<p>

_Urahara,_

_If Ichigo or any of his friends approach you, tell them that the Soul Society will enter Hueco Mundo within a few days. Yamamoto has already prepared forces to fight the incoming Hollow army. Seven shall go forward to fight the Messengers, myself included._

_You will know what is to be expected._

_-Divine Son_

He folded up the paper and dropped it. The ground swallowed up the paper; in real time, only a few seconds would have passed in between his note to Hueco Mundo and to Urahara. Anson sighed.

"What did the note say?" he heard someone say. "And who was it sent to?"

"You're becoming better with your _Kyokkō_," Anson said casually.

"I'm the one asking the question." Soi Fon appeared beside Anson, her Suzumebachi pointed at Anson's neck.

"Soi Fon," Anson said coolly. "With all due respect, put down your middle finger. It is the most rude, non-explicit gesture to date."

Soi Fon pressed the tip of Suzumebachi against Anson's skin. "We are going to have a problem if you don't start talking!"

"And if we got a problem," Anson said, "you got a problem." Anson felt muscle movement through Soi Fon's weapon and called upon the power of his Bankai.

Soi Fon yelled out, but Anson could only see her yell. He had removed the air around Soi Fon to dampen the sound from escaping. "Bakudo Ten, _Tanma Otoshi_." Soi Fon went limp and collapsed into a heap. Anson allowed air to flow through and inspected the damage he had done.

The wound inflicted was shallow, but blood still leaked out substantially. Anson remedied the wound with healing Kidō. Suzumebachi had reverted to its, her, Zanpakutō form, with a tinge of blood near its tip. Anson wiped the area clean with his shihakusho sleeve and put the blade in the sheath located at Soi Fon's rear waist area. _That barely went as planned,_ Anson thought angrily. _I could have accidentally killed her, had I had been more discomposed._ He closed the wound, carried Soi Fon to the shade of a nearby rock and laid her in a sitting pose.

The job finished, Anson noticed a slip of paper appear beside his foot. He picked it up, trying to ignore the scents of candies that accompanied it. _Damn you Urahara._

_D.S.,_

_I can feel them, Ichi and Co. Whatever you're doing, better finish it quick, because there isn't a lot of time. We're talking about Kuchiki's sister here, and Ichi's gonna want to save her as soon as possible._

_I'll try to stall them as best I can._

_-Candy Man_

Anson read the note again, then burned the note with a manipulation of air temperatures. _Ichigo's gotten there faster than I thought. I'll have to compress the time-line much more than I have to..._

* * *

><p>"Bakudo Eighty-One: <em>Dankū<em>!" The translucent barrier formed before me, showering me in the smoke caused by the explosion of a Byakurai blast. The Dankū barrier held. "No signs of falter. But the cancellation problem still exists." I was half-pleased.

"I haven't found out the cause," I admitted.

Byakuya looked up. I turned to see Anson walking toward us. He stopped a few feet behind me and seated himself down. "What," Byakuya demanded, "are you doing here?"

"Just keep going," Anson said in a light tone, completely contradictory to Byakuya's. "Just think of me as a third student." He smiled.

Byakuya barely suppressed a frustrated groan. "Socrius, again. Dankū, and this time, _cancel_ it."

Once more, I formed the barrier; once more, the barrier dispersed the spell in random directions perpendicular to the Dankū. "I might know the problem," Anson offered.

"Indulge us," Byakuya said.

"Cancellation is in a way like absorbing," Anson said. " To stop dispersion, Kai has to sacrifice Reiryoku; this causes the "cancellation" process. In most cases, though irrelevant to our predicament, Dankū has enough cancellation in itself to block a Level Eighty-eight Kidō, or several lower Kidō in bulk; as long as the cumulative Kidō levels do not exceed eighty-eight. It also varies with Reiryoku strength, but that is impossible to determine that without Captain Kurotsuchi's reiatsu-meter.

"It is better explained through this chemistry reference. With either ions and ionic compounds, both have a number of positive or negative charges. There has to be an equal number of positive and negative charges to create a stable compound. In our case, our 'stable compound..." Anson added the "quotations" gesture to the word," is an explosion and smoke, rather than an 'explosion, smoke, and stray reiatsu'.

"In Kai's case, he is unable to utilize this cancellation principle. He doesn't use any Reiryoku to cancel, and so he places more entities in danger. My guess is because of Shionari, as she and Kai share the same Reiryoku 'pool'. Shionari's Deluge Form allows the absorption of Reiryoku of anything the Shikai body touches. But maybe something was experienced to completely negate Reiryoku-Reiryoku conflicts.

_I was so confident that I was going yet another one of its kind. I was so confident that I was going to overwhelm one of them, use its Reiryoku to fight, but only to experience a different kind of medium enter my world. One of an intruder; I had to release that power._ "Shionari mentioned 'intruders' when I tried absorbing the Reiryoku of a Menos Grande," I said. "Perhaps Shinigami and Hollow Reiryoku are incompatible with one another, though I can't vouch for Visoreds or Arrancars. Maybe it was this that shut off this cancellation thing."

"Hypothesis deemed correct," Anson said triumphantly. "And from our 'victim' too. Wait until Kurotsuchi hears this... he'll be sure to take all the credit..."

Byakuya sighed softly. "Just be sure to control whether you could or could not 'absorb'. It may prove useful in the future."

I nodded.

"What's next?" Anson asked.

Byakuya growled under his breath. "You managed to explain the nature of Kai's problem. You can teach these two the essential Kidō."

"In my opinion, you're the better teacher!" Anson said in his lively tone.

"You're just a lazy bum!" Rosche called out.

Byakuya took no note of the statement. "For what has seemed to be a week, I have been having to deal with demeaning nicknames by our Second Captain. I had not signed up for that. I wish to retire, get over with this war, and return to the way things had been."

"Byakuya Kuchiki," Anson said, "things had never been normal ever since Ichigo Kurosaki changed Soul Society two years ago. Even after Aizen, there was the Fullbring matter. Your sister, Rukia, and even Urahara had to pay close attention to him. There was always the tense moment of when Kugō Ginjō would show up to 'recruit' Ichigo. And after those few days of peace came the Message of the King of Hollows."

Anson breathed once, as if to stabilize himself. "Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. Your life will never return to normal. Not now, not after the war. Until the governments of both Soul Society and the Hollow Realm can reconcile, there will always be conflict and there shall always be strife. The cycle of life and death will always continue to repeat."

Byakuya drew his sword, and I could feel his Reiatsu flare. I could only describe it as being on the red side of the spectrum; he was angry beyond comparison.

"What's with the sword?" Anson inquired. "You really aren't..."

"Bankai," Byakuya said, dropping his katana tip-first into the ground. "_Senbonzakura Kageyoshi_." The sword sank into the ground, as if it was dropped into water.

The sky darkened as multiple blades rose from the ground, as far into the horizon as one could see. They then dispersed into multiple pink shards, hovering menacingly behind Byakuya.

There was a swoosh of air and I saw that Anson had appeared, in his sitting position, behind Byakuya. "Eighty-five centimeter danger zone. I'd rather not maim you, nor would you maim yourself so willingly because of anger."

"_Senkei: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi_!" Byakuya uttered, and the shards came together to form a cage of pink swords around Byakuya and Anson.

"Kai! Get out!" Rosche called. I took a second to realize that the cage was closing quick, so I shunpo'ed backwards and had barely steered clear of the boundary, though with my excess sash significantly shortened.

"Anson!" Rosche called out, and I instantly heard metal strike metal.

"You need not worry about me, Rosche!"

"I never worried! This is for being a dumb-ass! You're going to get owned!"

"Other than that," Anson said, "you two watch carefully. You may learn a thing or two."

There was a small explosion, and the two trailed out of the smoke cloud on opposite ends. "Captain Kuchiki," Anson said. "I have always been wanting to cross blades with you. Never have I found you available. But now that you have come to me, I can fight uninhibited."

"You speak as though you know you are going to win," Byakuya said arrogantly. "Back down before I break your body into pieces."

"Force is meaningless without skill," Anson said.

"The time for talk is over!" Byakuya roared, completely losing all composure. He charged forward, his sword glimmering white...**  
><strong>


	22. 21: Apprehensions

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part III: Ascension Arc**

**Chapter 21: Apprehensions**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>"Shūtei..." Byakuya said, "Senbonzakura Kageyoshi! Hakuteiken!" Byakuya's blade became pure white, releasing an aura that trailed over Byakuya's shoulders resembling wings.<p>

"Going all out with your signature?" Anson asked. "You shouldn't get over yourself." Anson made a lifting motion from the ground toward the sky, which summoned a pillar of gray rock from the earth. There was a sound which could be described as a _shunk_, but Anson couldn't see what had happened on the other side.

"Scatter," came Byakuya's voice. Pink flower petals converged around the pillar, threatening to sandwich Anson in between the two waves of blades.

Anson leapt up, strengthened by a shunpo step, to evade the two waves. Looking down, the waves coalesced into one mass, chasing Anson at an unnatural speed. _He's using his hands,_ Anson told himself. _I have to move faster._ Anson spun to his left to allow the wave to pass him. _Manipulation of his Scatter in Senkei form? That isn't like him at all... Soi Fon must have pissed him good._

Anson gathered Reishi into his palm and formed his Zanpakutō in its Bankai state. He dashed downward and started his symphony of button mashing, transforming the Senkei stage into a different layout. The area was turned into an urban setting like that of a major city; Tokyo, San Francisco, or New York. He veered off of a building and landed on a lamppost, bending the pole that held the light on the ground. The mass of pink blades charged from within a skyscraper and annihilated the lamppost from which Anson was standing on just a second before. He shunpo'ed about the city, trying to locate Byakuya against the black asphalt.

Byakuya was hovering in the air, about four stories high, majestically waving his hands to control Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. Anson snapped his fingers and caused the asphalt underneath Byakuya to explode, while launching a ball of dirt, studded with various metals and rocks, at Byakuya. A few pink blades sped past Anson to slice up the earthen projectile into bit-sized chunks.

_Those barely hit me,_ Anson thought. _Move faster._ He quickly veered left to evade the mass behind him. He looked at Byakuya, the blades that had cut his earthen mass now circled around Byakuya. _He's now wary about ranged attacks._

The pink fragments had found its target and now sped toward Anson. "Compress," Anson uttered as he sped toward Byakuya.

The petals slowed. Anson drifted right to dodge them and looked straight into Byakuya's eyes. Anson saw every muscle movement: raise of eyebrow, raise of upper eyelid, contraction of his irises.

Anson plunged his sword into Byakuya's shoulder. He felt the blade make contact with the skin.

Then Byakuya seemingly disappeared.

Anson felt the blades now touch him, but he quickly shunpo'ed away to evade the petals of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. He allowed the time-line to relax, allowed time to resume normally for himself. Byakuya's speed was very quick, even in slowed time.

"Utsusemi, Way of the Onmitsu, third of the Shihō." Byakuya stood several meters away from Anson, his pink mass hovering behind himself.

"Very fast, Utsusemi is," Anson said.

"Faster than light," Byakuya said, shunpo'ing behind Anson. "Faster than you seeing this coming." There was the crash of metal upon metal, sparks flying between the two combatants.

"You're becoming like your younger self," Anson stated. "I'm sure you haven't lost your touch, but you truly are different." Anson flicked a finger and a dirt mass collided into Byakuya's right hand; they resounded with an ugly _crack_.

Byakuya retreated a distance away and used a healing Kidō to mend the wound. Anson dashed forward, sword in mid-swing, and attempted to strike Byakuya there, but Senbonzakura Kageyoshi stopped Anson's blade by forming a barrier around him. A smaller second mass struck Anson in the side, though the majority of the blades were deflected by a quickly timed Enkōsen. He was forced to retreat.

The petals dispersed from its shielded form and then surged forward toward Anson. _Frontal assault? _he thought, backing from the onslaught. The petals were almost catching up with him. _At this rate, he might run me into his Senkei wall,_ Anson deduced. The wave then split into three more waves to prevent him from moving sideways easily.

_Compress,_ Anson said. Immediately, the petals slowed, and Anson looked for openings. Byakuya had evenly spaced the petals around, barely marking any. Perhaps it was only the chance to make Anson submit, as Anson quickly saw that none of the petals, save for the main mass, aimed for vital organs or to cut bone.

"Hado Fifty-four: _Haien_!" Anson called. Anson caught every movement of the bolt of Reishi leaving his palm. The petals burned away at contact with the Haien bolt. At what would be really measured as a quarter of a second, Anson burst through the hole caused by the Haien and noticed that Byakuya had already started to sidestep the Haien.

The petals barely snipped off the tails of Anson's haori as he dove through the hole. Anson allowed the time-line free and the Haien smashed into Senbonzakura Kageyoshi's Senkei wall of with a grand explosion.

"That took extreme timing," Anson commented.

"Most likely," Byakuya said as though he had regained his composure. "But of course, your Zanpakutō probably allows you to count milliseconds. I am not surprised." Byakuya raised a hand; a pink sword was drawn from the Senkei wall and became a replica of Senbonzakura as Byakuya's fingers grasped the hilt. "You shall make no tricks this time; I am done using my release when you are able to counter such a mass; one as large as a hundred million."

"Byakuya," Anson said, "I have been doing no tricks. Tricks are for kids." Byakuya dashed forward, aiming a thrust at Anson's side. Anson sidestepped the strike and aimed for Byakuya's neck, but Byakuya stooped down in time for Anson's sword to barely nick a hair. Anson thrust his sword forward, but Byakuya pushed the blade away with the back of his wrist.

Byakuya's blade swung outward and curved back toward Anson. Anson slowed time and caught the blade between two fingers. He then lowered one finger and pushed it aside, backing from Byakuya as he did. Byakuya, however, dashed forward. "You will not get away," he said.

Anson gathered the dust on the ground and formed multiple spears with his Reiryoku, tossing them at various angles toward Byakuya. The projectiles were quickly disintegrated by a Dankū, but it was more than enough for Anson to disappear from Byakuya's field of vision.

"Bakudo Sixty-One, Rikujōkōrō!" Six beams of light, split off of the main beam, now hurled towards Byakuya. Byakuya turned and waved a finger, which six pink blades came and shattered the Kidō. Anson then conjured a mass of air and flung it at Byakuya. At the same time, Anson sent forth Reiryoku into the ground.

Byakuya dispelled the air ball with Dankū, but barely reacted the the second preparatory attack. The ground lifted around Byakuya and restricted his movement. Anson dove in for the attack, his sword ready to just make contact with Byakuya's throat...

Anson stopped, but he was unable to feel the tip of his blade against Byakuya's skin. "You were too hasty," Byakuya replied. "Even time cannot help you cast Haien without scarring yourself." Anson noticed a pink shroud creeping over his vision.

"Point-blank Gōkei, hmm?" Anson inquired. "Even though you would kill me, you would obliterate yourself. The shock-wave of the blast might as well strip you down to your skeleton. Instead of losing two lives, we may as well call this a draw."

Byakuya exhaled softly. "So be it." The pink fragments fled from Anson and destroyed the earthen barrier that encased his own body. Anson lowered his sword and allowed the cityscape to meld back into Sakiruma Plateau.

"Told you not to worry," Anson told Rosche. She said nothing. "But, how about that front-seat battle against two Captains of the Gotei Thirteen? You certainly don't see that happen every day!"

"Of course, that's against the rules," Byakuya said.

"Are you trying to pull a LittleKuriboh joke on me, Byakuya?" Anson asked sarcastically.

"No, and I do not know of a little 'kuriboh' either."

Anson looked toward the horizon, his artificial day already turning twilight. "Here, let's end today. I'll cook something up." He went to the fireplace and ignited the fire and set up a stone-age stove. "How about some Korean barbeque?! Or Byakuya, I'm sure you've hadn't had American steak cooked Chinese-style!"

"That's almost as outrageous as Virginia-style ham prepared in Minnesota and sold in California..." Kai commented.

"You two are outrageous..." Rosche said with a face-palm.

* * *

><p>Everyone gathered around the fire with a dish, fork, and knife. Anson sat next to Byakuya, coaching him on how to use the foreign utensils while ignoring Byakuya's incessant "preference for chopsticks". Soi Fon awoke near this time whom, much to Anson's relief, had completely forgotten about the note. Rosche quickly chowed on her steak, while Kai was helping himself to a large load of Korean barbeque.<p>

"Kai, Rosche," Anson said. "It has been a few weeks, but I want you two to practice sparring each other with your Bankai. They may be incomplete, but combat is the only surefire way to completely refine it. You two hear me?"

They both nodded, since their mouths were full. Not long after Kai finished his stack of Korean barbeque did he help himself to a bowl of vegetable broth.

Soi Fon was first to finish. "Didn't know you could cook this well..." she muttered.

"My Bankai cooked it," Anson lied.

"Lazy ass!" Rosche said, after swallowing. "You may as well even have him clean your room!"

"I could, but I don't. Besides, I knew you would say that." Anson paused to take a bite. "At least I don't use my Zanpakutō to sharpen pencils."

_He has a point,_ Kaminarino Hyōji said, manifesting on Rosche's shoulder.

"He also has a nice sense of humor!" Anson said. "'Point,' get it?" He burst out laughing, to which his face was awarded by a thrown T-bone.

"Hibiscus," Byakuya said, "courteousness during meals. Food, however plenty, shouldn't be wasted."

Soi Fon whistled. "Such deepness coming from an aristocrat. Nice going, Rich Boy!" Byakuya involuntarily tossed a knife at Soi Fon, whom deftly dodged. Anson caught the knife with a portal and set the knife on Byakuya's plate. "'Courteousness during meals,' Kuchiki!" Soi Fon yelled. "You might as well nearly chop my head off!"

"If you were Yoruichi, it would be rolling on the ground right now."

"Now, now, Byakuya," Anson said. "Finish eating, then you two can fight all you want..."

Kai got up as usual and started to leave for bed. After a few good-nights and tossing the paper plate into the fire, he disappeared toward the tents. "Don't you think he's a little lonely?" Anson asked Rosche.

"Don't tell me you're with Brandon and Jorden about pairing me with him," she said vehemently.

"Not in the least," Anson said. "Just a thought. Anyways, how goes the story?"

"None of your business." Rosche rose up and left the fire, leaving the captains to their own devices.

"I fear for the fate of the Gotei Thirteen," Anson admitted, after making sure Kai and Rosche were out of earshot.

"Who wouldn't?" Soi Fon asked. "I'm sure the old man is worrying too. Three and Nine have their Captain positions open."

"Not the positions, but what's going to happen. Over my reconnaissance missions, I've heard many rumors that the Hollow King has the power to influence Hollows, even create them. But, if so, then Soul Society may as well crumble. You remember Aizen's invasion. The Gotei Thirteen nearly lost, if it hadn't been for Ichigo. So what if something happens to Ichigo? What if something happens and he cannot fight for who knows why?"

Byakuya lowered the bowl from which he was drinking from. "I have already accepted this fact; as long as Rukia is involved, I am sure Ichigo will not stop."

"You're thinking about letting her go?" Soi Fon asked. Anson saw that Soi Fon skipped the remark. The air was tense, and sure enough, now wasn't the time for jokes.

"Perhaps tea may be better than broth," Byakuya said. Anson instantly produced a set of three cups, with Jasmine tea set for each of them. A stone table was set over the fire, with stone legs holding up the main slab. Air holes were "drilled" into the top to promote heat flow. Byakuya poured tea into each of the cups. After a sip, he resumed. "I'm still thinking. While it may be appropriate to accept Ichigo into the Gotei and possibly promote him to the Third Captain, he lives a double life; one as a human and a Shinigami. His artificial soul cannot live for him; as with most artificial souls, they are all contradictory in terms of personality.

"Besides, allowing Ichigo to roam free with Rukia means that I have given up on my vow to Hisana. I promised never to break another vow, and until Ichigo can gain my respect, he shall have nothing to do with Rukia save friendship."

"I guess it hurts when you have to decide for yourself on 'what would Hisana say?' and 'what is best for Rukia?'" Anson said. "Especially if Hisana isn't here at this moment. Don't worry, I'm sure Ichigo is worrying over Rukia right now. When Kai and Rosche complete Bankai training, we will follow Ichigo into Hueco Mundo and save your sister. On top of that, we can reconcile with the government of Hueco Mundo."

Byakuya stared up at Anson's artificial sky. "I only hope so."


	23. 22: All Is To Be Forgiven

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part III: Ascension Arc**

**Chapter 22: All Is To Be Forgotten**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>I woke up more tired than usual the next morning. I sighed as I dug around for my comb and combed my hair into place. I then grabbed my Shihakusho and practically threw it on. After picking up Shionari's Zanpakutō form, I exited the tent.<p>

"You're somewhat early," Anson's voice said. The terrain changed again, this time, Sakiruma Plateau had turned to a cliff with Anson sitting at its edge. I still noticed a mountain to the west, while Shionari's specified landscape still dominated the east.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked.

"Probably asleep or something. Besides, Rosche is a late riser, so you can't expect her to be up and full of energy at this time. Perhaps you could give her another hour before Water and Lightning have their spar?" I noticed his voice was heavy, though I didn't act on it.

"How about Captain Kuchiki and Captain Soi Fon?"

"Duking it out somewhere. The two of them are doing something somewhere. They mentioned about saving battle or something for today." Anson barely finished his sentence before there was a bright flash of blue near the middle of the land. "And there goes Byakuya's Sōkatsui!" I sighed as I turned to venture out toward my original Bankai training spot.

_He seemed a little depressed,_ Shionari said, forming beside me.

"His voice did seem to be heavier than usual," I replied. "What might you think of it?"

_I glimpsed his inner world the way I would had seen it. The scene gave me a nostalgic feeling; it was a light drizzle. It was the same when you were depressed..._

"It must be none of our business then," I said. "Until he wants to speak of it, we can only hope for his recovery over it." Shionari was about to disagree, but she decided to keep silent instead.

I knelt down at the beach again. I rested my hands on my knees and stared out into the ocean. There were few waves among the landscape of dark blue. I closed my eyes and prepared to practice the connection rates.

A deep breath steadied my concentration. The connection rate became faster than I could count individually and soon reached a milliliter within a few seconds. I no longer needed the calculations. I let go of the molecules collected. Feeling to have achieved something, I took a break.

_Sometimes, I don't like how lazy you are,_ Shionari commented, materializing beside me.

"There isn't really anything to accomplish. I have a steady accumulation, and more water exercises will speed it up."

_Start Hakuda training underwater._ Shionari looked away.

"What? T-that's going to be a lot of water resistance down there!"

You won't drown. As long as I'm near you, you can breathe water. As for the extra hydrogen molecules...

"Don't tell me you're going to make stuff explode."

_A few chain reactions here or there. Don't worry, a few hydrogen molecules won't be able to do much more than make water splash up into the air._ She eyed me. _You'll be underwater; no sense in keeping you above water if you can breathe it._

I scowled at the remark.

Besides, if you want, I'll keep the water off your Shihakusho. How about that?

"I don't care," I said.

_The opposite of positivity isn't negativity. It's neutral or 'indifference'._

"I've been indifferent all my life! Sure, I'm for and against some things, but going through the motions have been something I have done!"

No, you're just saying that. If you were going through the motions, what would have happened back in Rukongai?

"I..."

I would be dead.

_You know the answer, yet you don't speak it. You'll accept it soon. People don't get very far for being indifferent. _I started to get up until a stray bolt of white lightning threw up sand a few feet away from me.

"Holy shit!"

_Tone down your language!_

"Excuse me. Habit." I stepped away from the smoldering sand and turned at the sound of crunching leaves. "Rosche?"

The girl stepped out of the underbrush. "I was about to use Hyōji as machete," she stated.

_Don't do that..._ the bird muttered from Rosche's shoulder.

"Besides, we're here at Anson's order. Bankai combat."

"Then don't you think he should be, like... here?" I asked.

"It's training," Rosche said. I could feel her irritation rising. "It's not like we have to kill each other or anything; besides, he says he's got other things to do."

I sighed. "Definitely... of course. He has the role of second strongest Captain of the Soul Society and is probably taking care of really important stuff. I can only wonder what...?"

"Shut up like as if he doesn't do anything!"

"Now you're defending him!" I laughed. "You said at first he didn't deserve it, since he gave all the paper work to Vice-Captain Hinamori!"

"You're... you're starting to be as annoying as he is!" Rosche stomped forward and pummeled me in the arm.

"Dammit..." I gripped at the place of contact. I could feel my skin grow hot through the Shihakusho; it was probably being inflamed. "Bankai sparring will have to wait..." Shionari flew to my wound and pulled forward water to nurse it. The cool water immediately felt soothing to the touch and I relaxed by sitting against a rock. "Seriously Rosche, you gotta calm down. With that attitude, perhaps even the Spirit King will want to retire for a day..."

"Was that an insult or a joke?" The largest mistake was looking right into Rosche's eye, which my mind could only bring up the flames from the pit of Hell or something. _Fire is scary enough; what about hellfire...?_

I sighed. I'm so glad it only lasted an instant...

* * *

><p>Anson strolled across the plains of the western side of the island. Rosche had recently traveled to the East to spar with Kai, using Bankai. Anson however, didn't feel like going. Not at the moment, that is.<p>

At the base of the mountain, Anson located a rock with five faint grooves in it. Rosche had passed this place many times before, but one had to have keen eyes in order to spot it. Anson placed his right hand, so that his fingers touched each groove, and pushed gently. The rock shifted inward, and slid downward to reveal a passageway.

_Did you dream of it again?_ Jikan-Tekina Munashii asked. He had taken the form of a wisp, a cloud with two faint lights as eyes.

"In a way," Anson said. "The scenario was different, but it was the same outcome. You could compare it to the similarities between the Inheritance Cycle and the Original Trilogy of Star Wars; two different mediums but same elements."

Jikan-Tekina Munashii said nothing as Anson ventured down a flight of stairs that curved down almost forever. If it were not for the torches that burned whenever he neared them; as well as burning out when he left them; he would have had a troubling time making sure he would not slip on the stone.

Some one-hundred feet below sea level, a soft blue light illuminated a kind of room. At the side walls, the torches now burned a fluorescent pink. The far wall bore a decorated stand bearing candles and a picture. A golden case sat before the portrait, but didn't obscure it.

The portrait portrayed a girl in her late-teens to early twenties. Her black hair was shoulder-length at the front, but one could tell that the hair at the back of her head reached down lower. Her posture was regal, as if she were a princess of some sort, if not for the Shihakusho she wore. She sported a faint smile, as if she were joyful at the moment. Her lightning-blue eyes gently looked out from under her dark-brown hair.

Anson picked up the portrait and set it down after a while. _Claire..._ "I want to ask you something, because I'm still unsure; will defeating the King of the Hollows of our time bring back the peace that Soul Society always knew?"

Anson knew the portrait would not answer back, but stating a problem to her, to what others would deem as "a picture", always seemed to clear his mind. After standing for a few more seconds, Anson turned and went out by the way he had entered. Upon exiting, Anson knocked on the rock face five times to seal the "tomb".

"Care to tell me what's in there?"

Anson whirled around to meet Soi Fon just a few inches from his face. "You know," Anson said, "it isn't very smart to do that, putting your face so close to mine."

"Why not?" Soi Fon inched forward a bit closer.

"Because someone can..." Anson drew back and quickly tapped Soi Fon on the mouth with his finger. "...just draw forward and take your first kiss, guessing you've hadn't had one yet."

Soi Fon took a second to register the information. She then jumped back, red-faced. "You... you... bastard!" Without calling the seal, Soi Fon released Suzumebachi's Shikai and lunged at him.

Anson merely moved a little to the left, Soi Fon's right, and caught her by her wrist. With another fluid movement, he picked her up and swung her over his shoulder. "Wha-what the fuck are you doing?!" Soi Fon cried, beating on Anson's back with her free hand. "P-put me down this instant! Now!"

"Someone's getting red-faced..." Anson mused, smiling to himself. "Bee-yaa-koo-yaa!" he called, slurring out the Sixth Captain's name. Ohh, Byakuya! Did you happen to lose something?! 'Cause I think I might have found it!"

"T-thing?!" Soi Fon's voice objected from behind. "Thing?! Don't mention me as-as-as some sort of t-toy! I am a C-captain of the G-Gotei Thirteen!"

"Ahh, the cat's kitten is so cute when she stammers!" Anson laughed.

"R-release me!"

"Fine." Anson let go of Soi Fon. She immediately caught her fall and somersaulted upright. She yelled as she surged forward with an outstretched foot aimed at the back of Anson's head. "Seriously, Kitty, your Reiatsu is _way_ too easy to track." He turned and caught Soi Fon's leg, swung her over his shoulder, and also managed to snatch Suzumebachi's Shikai form from her finger. "This is almost too easy! No wonder the Second Division wanted me on their Division; I can easy take the place of Captain or Vice-Captain! Looks like the rejections finally paid off, since I got Fifth!"

"Your voice is so fucking annoying!" Soi Fon pummeled on Anson's back with both of her fists. "And give me back my Zanpakutō!"

"Bee-yaa-koo-yaa!" Anson called again, being sure not to miss the slurring. "I caught her again for you!" The Sixth Captain emerged from the underbrush, some plant debris clinging to his clothes and hair. Senbonzakura came together from its Shikai state and became Byakuya's Zanpakutō once more. He pointed the blade at Soi Fon's head.

"You have lost our game of 'tag'," Byakuya said. "When we get back to Soul Society, you will now..." Byakuya faltered. "Raynes! What should she do? She stated that if I catch her, she would have to do anything I say, as long as it is within Gotei Thirteen standards."

Anson shrugged as he dropped Soi Fon onto the ground again. This time, she fell on the crown of her head. "I dunno, force her to wear a cat's maid costume for the next three days instead of her standard regulation Punishment Corps uniform?"

"That is indeed punishment," Byakuya mused. "How would that benefit me?"

"It wouldn't, but it would definitely make my Twentieth Seat happy. He has an obsession with girls wearing maid costumes."

Soi Fon got up. "H-hey! First of all, Rich Boy here didn't catch me, you did! And second, the Shinigami Women's Association has no kind of equipment like that!"

"I'm sure Vice-Captain Hisagi wouldn't mind buying a few maid costumes from the World of the Living," Anson said. "It's been a while since a photo-shoot made the front page of Seireitei Bulletin."

"To hell with a cat's maid costume!" Soi Fon said blatantly.

"Then it's either that or kiss the one person you like the most," Anson suggested with a chuckle.

"Whaa...!" Soi Fon jumped back as if hit. Her face turned more red than a Red Delicious apple. "No, you can't mean... I won't kiss Yorui-!" With that, she covered her mouth, but it was already too late.

"This is news," Anson said shockingly at Byakuya. The man merely nodded, though slower than usual. "Will this make Seireitei Bulletin's front page?" Byakuya nodded once more. "Is this what you want?" There was a pause, and Byakuya's answer never came. Instead, he just walked away.

In a few seconds, Anson thought he heard the loudest face-palm in history.

* * *

><p>Kai sighed as he finally sat down on a rock. "Electricity is so hard... to fight when you're a water element..."<p>

Rosche was sitting against the base of another rock, likewise panting for air. "And water... is a pain to fight against... when it gets more powerful by lightning..."

"But still, your bird... was huge as hell! How... how do you even hide that thing?!"

_I am very conscious of showing an enlarged detail of myself,_ Hyōji replied. _I'm supposed to be a "thunder"-bird, a cryptic that is supposedly a really large bird. Hopefully there wasn't a notice about a missing feather on my right wing._ Hyōji tentatively peeked under his right wing.

_I couldn't catch it,_ Shionari replied. _Besides, your speed makes it too hard to see, plus all of the bolts of lightning you're raining down on us._

_Nice use of a water reference..._ Hyōji complimented.

_Shocking, is it?_ Shionari huffed. _Who can't make a reference out of anything?_

"And I'm about to call out... the Random Rules of the Internet!" I screamed. "I'm tired... out of my mind!"

"And Anson's off... having fun traipsing around... the forest," Rosche replied, "I hope... he gets blown up... by Captain Kuchiki."

Kai sat up and headed to a nearby spring to wash his face. "This... this training is too tedious... I'm about to call it a day... for today and tomorrow."

"Same..." Rosche agreed. "But I don't wanna get up!"

"Then the only other way back to the tents is Shunpo. Or, tell Anson to teleport you to the mesa's top." I started through the forest, leaving her behind. "See ya."

"Hey, wait up!" Rosche bounded up from the beach. When she caught up to me, she slugged me in the arm. I caught my arm as the pain laced into my body. "That was for trying to leave me alone!"

"Y-you don't have to hit so hard!" I said. "Can't you be a bit more gentle?" Rosche didn't answer the question as she walked quicker through the underbrush. I sighed. "She's way too violent..."

_I share your feelings,_ Hyōji said, flapping faster to catch up with Rosche. I didn't bother like picking up the pace.

"Shionari, you told me that all of your "skills" or something were already unlocked to me right?"

_Yes,_ the water serpent said.

"But you don't teach them; is it because you haven't thought up of any?"

Shionari growled. _Truth or no, that was an utter insult._

"I was only asking... sorry."

Shionari turned her head. _But, it is the truth. All of my skills are limited go your imagination. The more techniques you can master, the wider your powers are. One water molecule can easily tip the scales in, or out, of your favor._

"Well, I'm going to hate the day when missing one water molecule gets me killed," I said quietly. "Let's hope I don't jinx myself."


	24. 23: Tactics Arena

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part III: Ascension Arc**

**Chapter 23: Tactics Arena**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>"Bankai!"<p>

I raised Shionari into the air in one arm and focused all of my reiatsu into the blade. The Zanpakutō imploded and its fragments surged into the air. Clouds gathered around where the fragments had entered the atmosphere and almost immediately a rainstorm began to fall. Most of the droplets coalesced into a figure; a water serpent. It roared as I called its name:

"Shionari no Mugen Nagare."

Rosche brandished her own Zanpakutō. It shattered into pieces and flew into the sky in the same manner I had called my Zanpakutō. However, lightning flashed at the place the fragments entered the sky as a large bird descended from the clouds. With a powerful flap of its wings, it lowered itself behind Rosche.

"Raimei Tori."

Anson gave an impressed hum. He was situated on the rock on which I practiced my water connections. "Looks classy," he said. "Judging by your Shikai, you two already have a powerful Bankai. But is it any good?"

_I take offense to that,_ Shionari no Mugen Nagare stated aloud. If it were not for his mobility and battle-hardiness, I was sure Anson would have been hit by the wave of water sent at him.

Anson returned to his seat and swept at us with his hand. "Gosh, can't take a comment? Fine, go ahead, I'll just sit and watch..."

Rosche didn't take time to wait. Before I could direct water to ensnare her and her Zanpakutō to the ground, she mounted upon Raimei Tori and started raining bolts of lightning upon us. I separated water into salt and unionized water; I used the salt water as a barrier to ward away the lightning while the fresh water was used to try to counter attack.

"Let's go, Shionari!" A traditional dragon roar erupted from my Bankai's maw as I mounted upon her and sailed into the air. Her fluid motion dodged the lightning bolts as I used the barrier to block and used the other water to try to strike.

_Water attracts electricity,_ Mugen Shionari told me. _But the same water becomes charged with energy when hit. If possible, you could use the electricity against itself. Instead of light, you could picture them as visible sub-atomic particles._

Just then, the barrage of bolts became more concentrated. I felt the power in the water slip as Mugen Shionari instead harnessed the energy into mobility. Now making my move, I sent missiles of salt water from the barrier.

Contrary to my expectation, the water had barely made distance. Instead, small bursts of light and a shallow burnt smell was produced. Too much power was dispersing the water into hydrogen and oxygen gas through electrolysis, which the gasses were immediately ignited by the charged air.

The plan wouldn't work; liquid salt water had weak bonds between each individual molecule. But what about...

I gathered water together into a mass, close together as so they couldn't be separated unless I released the pressure. A second and it was done; a cube of salt ice, about three inches in volume. If it were not for Mugen Shionari's movement, I'm sure the lightning's semi-tracing would have reached the block of ice.

I sent the block upward, it traveled through the sky and arced along with the lightning bolts. It was evident to Rosche now that I would be able to counter attack; just as the chunk of salt ice neared her mount, she zoomed away, leaving no path of electricity to follow and so fall. I extended an arm of water to retrieve the falling block; it was charged with so much electricity that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

I turned my attention to Rosche. She had started to turn around and unleash another barrage of lightning bolts. I shot my hand forward to direct pellets of ionized ice at the bolts of lightning. Both projectiles collided with each other perfectly; the attractions between the electricity and the ions in the salt caused both to semi-trace toward each other and dispel the energy into electrolysis. At this point, I knew that Rosche knew that if we kept this up, it would be a complete stalemate.

This time, I took the initiative to change battle plans. I directed Mugen Shionari to launch a condensed ball of water at Raimei Tori. If I kept up with the barrage of salt ice, there shouldn't be enough resource to counter.

Just as Mugen Shionari released the bolt of water, a white light erupted from Rosche's direction and dispersed the attack. I had to form a Dankū barrier to deflect the leftover Sokatsui blast and shield against the continual onslaught of lightning bolts.

_She has good reaction time,_ I thought. _As expected of the Third Seat of the Fifth Division..._ I looked around before calling out a stance form from my Shikai abilities:

"Entrench!"

A wave of water came around the place I had mounted Mugen Shionari, absorbing all of the projectiles of lightning while upholding itself as the lightning charged the Reiryoku-powered shield. In due time, the projectiles stopped.

The moment the last bolt was absorbed, I sent the shield forward as another projectile, taking the shape of a watery drill as a center of Reishi carried it forward. There was an explosion followed by mist, hiding Rosche.

_You've hit her?_ Mugen Shionari said from beneath me.

"Maybe..." I waited a second before, just in time, I erected a water barrier with Entrench to catch a charged feather dart.. Of course, if Rosche was hit, the bird of her Zanpakutō should have been falling! She was hiding; I had given her the elements of stealth and surprise.

The feather disintegrated as the power was converted into my control. I extended my reiatsu toward the cloud of mist. No... perhaps...

Inside the mist, I could feel the movement of Raimei Tori's wings, brushing against the cloud.

I manipulated the temperature around the mist particles; heat towards the bottom while I turned it cold at the top. Only at choice areas did I change the temperature to the opposite of its surrounding layer.

The mist started to spiral. As it did, I changed the temperature of the surrounding air mass; cold at the top and warm at the bottom.

_Convection currents will create a whirlpool if the water moves fast enough. A large range in temperature will ensure that..._

Suddenly, Raimei Tori exploded from within the mist, having just escaped before it had turned into a column of spinning water. With that, a hail of lightning rained down upon me and Mugen Shionari. We veered out of the target area to be chased by the tracing stream of electricity.

"Bring me close," I told Mugen Shionari, "I'll try to get into close combat."

_I can't get close with the storm of bolts following me,_ Mugen Shionari replied. _There has to be some sort of diversion..._

I lifted my hand, palm up, and gathered Reishi. Liquid water flowed and hovered above my hand, settling into a long rod with a prism at the top. Finishing its design at being about fifteen feet long, I threw it into the sea.

The rod stuck out of the sea and almost immediately took effect. The hail of lightning had deserted us and started to veer toward the lightning rod. "Let's go!" Mugen Shionari surged toward the bird, whom had deserted the goal of trying to shoot the two of us down. I grimaced as I molded a sword from water and reinforced its bonds to the strength of steel.

I tensed for a second as Rosche brandished the electric whip that was originally her Shikai. To my surprise, she leapt off Raimei Tori. _Off-steed battle?!_

I done the same. I had originally intended to "invade" and spar with Rosche on Raimei Tori. But now, the concern of having to fight with a charged and unstable ground was removed. "Shionari! Keep Raimei Tori occupied!"

_There's no need to tell me._ With that, Mugen Shionari flung me toward Rosche. Of course, I appreciated the boost.

Rosche lashed out with her whip in midair, to which I was barely able to parry with the faux sword. Mugen Shionari sped past me and attacked Raimei Tori before he was able to provide Rosche with support. Mugen Shionari lunged at Raimei Tori, trying to strike at the neck area while evading the bolts of electricity that the Thunderbird passively generated.

I pushed the weapon aside, only to be struck again at the same angle. As I had pushed the whip away, Rosche took the momentum to spin around and lash out again. She was trying to keep me away; a whip was a great weapon at a range, but had great disadvantage at close quarters. As long as she made contact with my weapon, she could move around freely, either using my own strength against me or using my sword as an anchoring or pivot point.

So she had to miss.

I saw Rosche's hand lift back for another strike. As the whip cut through the air, I discerned the movement of the whip; it curved in a wide, downward arc. I shunpo'ed forward so that the whip sailed past me. Rosche snapped her whip back, but I was already closing in.

There was a strange sound of metal hitting glass. I noticed that my blade had struck the few inches of the start of the whip. I pushed myself off to create distance, all the while avoiding the other end of the whip.

The whip came again, but I deflected it by striking it. Then, I noticed a glint in the corner of my eye. _Of course!_

"Hadō Four, Byakurai!" I started running toward Rosche with my hand outstretched, firing the offensive Kidō toward her right arm. At the same time, I lifted a wave of water from below her. She deflected the lightning bolt with her whip and faced me. She shunpo'ed away from the wave of water as I dove into it, having it drag me under the sea below. I left Reiryoku behind to form a replica of me; a doppelganger. Looking at it made me think of looking at a mirror. It jumped at Rosche, sword swung high for a strike.

Just as Rosche sent her arm back to attack it, I connected my grasp of the water at the lightning rod I had placed in the sea. It had absorbed all of the lightning power in the water from the missed lightning projectiles, as well as some discharge during Raimei Tori's clash with Mugen Shionari. I located the two of them in the air behind Rosche.

I launched myself from the water as Rosche's whip connected with my water clone; it had disintegrated on contact. I took advantage of her hesitation to control the main mass of Mugen Shionari. "Anchor!"

Mugen Shionari immediately wrapped around the Thunderbird, as a boa constrictor does to kill its prey. Raimei Tori shrieked as he struggled to stay airborne without Mugen Shionari's aid.

Rosche turned at the sound of my voice and thrust the whip out. I sent the lightning rod at that moment at Raimei Tori, which curved the route of Rosche's whip and toward the charged appendage. It struck Raimei Tori in his core, and my sword connected with Rosche's stomach...

Actually more like it was disappearing into some weird hole.

There came a clapping sound from the beach. My Reiryoku suddenly dropped as Mugen Shionari started to melt away and revert into her sealed Zanpakutō form. My faux sword also evaporated away. I wondered what happened as I lowered myself onto the sea with a plane of Reishi.

"Great Bankai," Anson complemented, walking out on the water. "A short yet nicely thought out plan by Kai Socrius. A lightning rod shaped like a spear?" Rosche seemed to stay suspended for a while before lowering herself onto the sea. She lifted her hand out to the sea and retrieved her sealed Zanpakutō from the ocean depths.

"I wasn't watching myself," Rosche said. "I didn't pay close enough attention to the lightning rod like I should have. And of course he would beat me; lightning rods are to counter lightning!"

I smiled and let out my hand. "Get on my level," I laughed. She responded with a pummel to the shoulder. I saw a splatter of lights at the registry of pain.

Anson sighed. "Look, there's no need to get violent after a spar. Besides, I saved you and your Zanpakutō from a lasting pain."

"That was the weird hole I saw?" I blurted out. The spirit of Shionari appeared from out of the water, staring at Anson and I.

Anson sheepishly grinned. A hand flew to the back of his head. He took a breath and looked at us. He lifted that hand and asked us a question, "What do you think is the power of my Zanpakutō?"

I would have said 'perception of time', but that wouldn't have answered the way he was able to alter the terrain. I answered in a logical manner, the best answer that my two-plus-two told me: "The power over Dimensions."

Anson nodded with a soft smile. In his hand now floated a ball of a weird pattern that looked like the pictures of nebulae in science textbooks. "Dimensions. I call it the Void."

* * *

><p>Anson had left to clean up the "campsite" while he sent Rosche to look for Captain Kuchiki and Soi Fon. After a brief discussion that this request was to practice her tracing abilities, Rosche reluctantly went, muttering under her breath that Anson would threaten to "send her into another dimension and trap her there." I was left with no task, but I noticed Shionari's Zanpakutō form standing upright on the sea, silhouetted against the sunset.<p>

_The power of the Void,_ Shionari said as I started walking toward it.

"If I remember correctly, it is the central element of the Japanese Five Great Elements." I placed my hand over my mouth, something I did when I thought intently. "Then water, fire, air, and earth... does that make me water?" I asked.

"If you're going about the Five Great Elements, you could be. The only other individual I can think of is Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, though he is strictly a water element controlled through ice; still a possibility. The last water-element based Zanpakutō to exist was Nejibana wielded by Kaien Shiba, whom had perished some seventy or eighty years ago.

"You know of existing Zanpakutō?" We had arrived at Shionari's Zanpakutō; standing neatly in the water and making a few ripples.

_Mostly those of my element that have existed. Zanpakutō are manifested by an entity, by some sort of god, but those yet to come are hidden even by the most powerful of Zanpakutō. The ones to have existed are known by all Zanpakutō, though the only information we know is the general time of which they have passed; nothing more._

I stared at Shionari's Zanpakutō. I rested a hand on it, but I couldn't help but ask: "Do you know when your time will come?"

Shionari was silent. I had never heard her this quiet; always describing how the waves of my mind felt had probably made me think of her as a talkative one. It was several seconds before she answered. _When your life is taken._ Her maw opened slightly before it closed again; a sigh. _I apologize, Zanpakutō don't know how to give proper answers regarding death. All I think of death is that we probably disintegrate just as Shinigami or Hollows do at their deaths. Perhaps we become recycled and allowed to choose another Reiatsu to dwell within, with our minds erased of previous owners before transferred over to a new host... or we are just discarded. I know naught, but the former seems to be an accurate assumption._

"Hey Kai!" came Anson's voice from the beach. "You ready to go, or you wanna see the rest of the sunset?!"

"I'm on my way!" I called back. "Ready for some Hollow extermination?"

Shionari seemed to frown at first, but nodded her head. _I'm sorry, but absorption of Reiryoku won't be happening until I can master it. You should be fine if you want to run over a few Hollows though._

"Fine with me!" I hurried back to the beach.

* * *

><p>Anson had finished crafting the portal's frame just as Kai had arrived. "All set, let's get going back to the real dimension, shall we?"<p>

"Might as well take a nice catnap when I get back," Soi Fon chimed, already stretching out her limbs. Anson and the others had no comments for her.

"Never mind then." Anson placed a hand on the portal and said: "_Munashii no mon ga akemashou._"

A spiral appeared in the center of the portal frame and grew outward in the rectangular area. It turned a solid blue when it had filled the portal. "In we all go?" Anson asked. "Fifteen seconds, and I'm last." Byakuya and Soi Fon hurried inside, followed by Rosche, then Kai. Anson looked back at the Nexus, his dimension. I finished burning the words onto the paper he was holding.

He dropped the paper into the ground, where its next destination would be the battleground he would be fighting on, not too long after.

_The time to strike will be soon._

* * *

><p><strong>*End of Part Three: Ascension Arc*<strong>

***To be continued in Part Four, Hollows War Arc***


	25. 24: The First Wave

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part IV: Hollows War Arc**

**Chapter 24: The First Wave**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>I could see almost nothing. I couldn't hear anything. I could not speak. I barely felt the shihakusho that clothed me. I felt no weight from my Zanpakutō. I then realized I wasn't breathing. I took a large gulp of air, or whatever I was breathing.<p>

I was in the Void.

I heard something behind me. It sounded like someone was singing or some form of music.

_Jiyuu tte, setsunakunai desu ka?_  
><em>Hitori ni nattanda ne<em>  
><em>Jiyuu tte, setsunakunai desu ka?<em>  
><em>Doko made mo<em>...

_Isn't freedom painful?  
>I'm now alone, aren't I?<br>Isn't freedom painful?  
>Endlessly so...<em>

"Come on now, don't get lost," I heard someone say. I blinked, and I saw Anson appear from nothingness. My sight started to return; it now seemed like I was walking in outer space or something. "Now, if I didn't notice you lagged behind, you'd be stuck here until I found you again. This Void stretches on forever."

"Did you hear that?" I asked.

"Many things are heard in the Void. If it was a voice other than angry or depressing, you're one of the lucky ones."

I nodded. I followed him as he "tore" open a section of Void and revealed Rosche and the others. It seemed like they were hiding behind a curtain or something.

"It's not much longer. It feels as if time is being wasted, but this realm is the only place where Time roams not."

"You sure like to talk now..." Rosche said. "Before, you always kept to yourself."

Anson made no comment as he came across a door. "Sekai no mon ga akemashou," he said, and another portion of Void opened to reveal a bright light. "Again, you all go in first. But know that we have forwarded a week in time; Captain Kuchiki and Soi Fon half that amount. You shall all find yourselves in your rooms resting; I have already taken the Head Captain's permission for all of you to be exempt of duties for that week you missed." We nodded and shuffled past Anson, but I noticed him looking back and whispering something, but I didn't hear what he said. The light enveloped my sight, and I saw black.

...

My eyes immediately opened. It all seemed like a dream: the Bankai training, the Kidō and Shunpo exercises, walking through the Void; it all seemed like a dream. I got up and rubbed my eyes. Was I sleeping all this time?

I got up and looked around the standard furniture of the Shinigami quarters. In the corner away from the door to the hall, I spotted Shionari sculpting something out of water. It seemed like a person holding out a sword-like weapon in an offensive pose. One would easily pass the sculpture to be made of crystal at first sight.

_You had been sleeping an additional hour,_ Shionari said, while molding in her character's face. Grooves were suddenly pressed into the head, followed by a bulging sphere for the eyes, then eyelids partially covering the eyeballs.

"Everyone else has awoken?" I asked.

_Anson and Rosche checked up on you not too long ago. I told them you'd be awake soon. Besides, the calmest waves only emerge during sleep, and my imagination roams the most then, though sometimes, I enjoy watching them quietly._ She snaked around and started detail on the sword's guard.

I took a breath before lifting myself out of the bed. I straightened out my Shinigami uniform and looked out of the window. The barracks grounds were sparsely filled with Shinigami, but they seemed tense. "Let's go," I told Shionari, and she immediately abandoned her sculpture and dissolved. The sculpture dissipated into water vapor. I exited the room and locked the door behind me.

"Oh, Socrius-san." I noticed Rikichi running up to me and bowing. I was first flattered, given that being re-Americanized changed my viewpoint on the Japanese culture. I bowed in return. "There has been an executive meeting," he continued. "All Shinigami are requested to meet at Sōkyoku Hill in about fifteen minutes. Yamamoto-sotaichō has words to say for all of the Shinigami regarding the war."

_He repeated himself,_ I thought. "Thanks for telling me," I told him. He bowed again before leaving. I trailed down the stairs and into the main streets. _I wonder what happened with Anson and Jorden?_ I had just remembered Jorden and his Zanpakutō; not being to manifest it would result in... magazines being burned? I sighed again as I shook the idea off my mind and walked towards Sōkyoku Hill.

* * *

><p>"NOOO!"<p>

Anson sifted through the cinders of the first issue of pornographic lolicon. It didn't matter to him; he hated pornography for various reasons he would gladly tell an inquirer; more so given the underage appearance of the subjects. To him, this was a treat. To a benefit, it served Jorden two purposes: his Zanpakutō deal and a room-cleanup.

"Not another! NOOO!" Jorden was already on the floor, already traumatized at the discard of a magazine. Anson only picked up yet another magazine, a black hair girl staring back while dressed in provocative clothing. It disgusted Anson until he burned the magazine with a low level Kidō spell.

"How do people even like this crap?" he asked quietly, flipping it around before skimming through the pages. Nonetheless, he burned the bound pages again, feeling relieved at the destruction of his detested. "It's the same with the World of the Living, hm? Desperate because you can't get a girl to marry you, so you get a bottle of lotion instead?" Anson stared at the mess around him, with a few mags there, a few sodden Shihakusho there, and an unfolded bed. "The room needs a cleaning too. But first things first, your mind." Anson snatched another porn mag off the ground. "And Fifth Division? You still carry an Asauchi even though you're a Fifth Division member? I kept wondering what Captain Hirako was thinking!"

"No, not that one too!" Jorden was crying. "No! NOOO!" Anson burned it despite his cries, but he was getting awfully hysterical over pages bound by a few staples. Plus, the screams were starting to kill his eardrums.

Anson took another magazine only to have it ripped out of his hand. Anson looked back to see it stuck to the wall, impaled by some sort of knife, though it was angular and blocky. Anson barely approached the magazine as the knife crumbled into small panel-like blocks. Confused, he looked at Jorden, whom was surrounded by three of the same knives.

Jorden threw the remaining knives at Anson, whom repelled them with Kidō. They crumbled into the same angular panels, so Anson resorted to catching the third. It reminded him of something from the World of the Living.

"Transform," Jorden uttered, raising his hand out, "Henkei! Scythe!" The panels assembled in Jorden's hand, assuming the form of the weapon Jorden commanded. He leapt at Anson, most likely in vengeance for either wasted money or destruction of his prized possessions. Anson hoped it was the former.

He lifted a hand to stop the blade, pouring Reishi into it to protect his hand against the blade. There was a spark, and Anson pushed Jorden away with Kidō, Shō.

"Your Zanpakutō," Anson said, picking up a panel on the floor that was discreetly pushing the magazines under the furniture. "Henkei; with the power to transform." Anson sighed and shook his head. "Four magazines for late work due. As much as I want them destroyed, I'll spare you your porn. Damn, how I hate saying that word... Now get going. Yamamoto is not waiting for anyone in the executive meeting."

"I hate you..." Jorden whimpered, picking up the ashes of a destroyed magazine. "I saved up so much kan for each of these..."

"Cleaning your room is a great place to begin. It keeps unwanted hands away from your things." Anson waited for Jorden to accept the losses, then walked out behind Jorden to attend the Head-Captain's meeting.

* * *

><p>Everyone had gathered already. Apparently, I was just in time; the other Shinigami were just getting into a presentable formation. I looked around for Captain Kuchiki, but I noticed the red ponytail that stuck out amongst the crowd. I quickly dashed toward his position.<p>

"Captain Kuchiki wants Seat order!" Renji was saying. "Manade, you're supposed to be on the right of Shino! Back three rows, scoot back! You're cramping up the rows in the front!" Renji face-palmed, muttering to himself. As he looked up, he noticed me. "Ah, Socrius!" he called. He jumped off of the box and clapped me on the shoulder. "How's it been? Better from some weird training incident?"

I gave him a sheepish grin. "Something like that, I guess. Captain Kuchiki's coming later?"

"Probably... he left me in charge, but the unseated here aren't working with me. You should get in line; Old Man Yama's gonna be speaking any minute now." I nodded and Renji was back to yelling at the inexperienced.

I noticed Anson, Rosche, and Jorden walk toward their lines. Anson headed to the front, where Lieutenant Hinamori was desperately trying to work with the Fifth Division's attendance formation. Anson placed a hand on Hinamori's shoulder and raised his hand.

"Everyone, rows of ten, except for the front row!" Everyone ran back and forth to get into the commanded position. "Now, stick out your elbows and spin around!" he said. It seemed ridiculous to me, and I was barely able to resist laughing as nearly all of the member's of the Fifth Division started spinning while pretending to be chickens or something. Those who made contact with another pair of elbows moved aside. The whole scenario lasted about thirty seconds, and they were still. "Good. And we're the first to be in correct position." The Fifth Division was filled with cheers, but the cheering stopped with another raised hand by Anson. What a creative way for formation setup... I thought. It seemed like an unorthodox World of the Living formation setup.

Two minutes later, the Sōkyoku Hill fell silent. There was the slow _shh_ of sandals scraping over rock as Head Captain Yamamoto made his way to the front of the congregation. I bit my lip as I shifted a little into the Sixth Seat position; Daichi was absent anyway.

"Shinigami of the Gotei!" Yamamoto declaimed. "All of you are aware of what has happened in the time of two weeks. The Ruler of the Hollow Realm has disapproved of our action; the retention of the Visored.

"We have had reasons involving them. Should we, in our Shinigami laws, execute them as being abominations that should never have been created? Or, should we instead keep them, since they were our partners and shared our beliefs?" Yamamoto paused. "We decided the latter; even allowing the former captains receive their post again. But the Ruler, in his rage, whisked them away and turned them into the beings whom we were sent to cleanse."

A murmur rose amongst the crowd, but Yamamoto tapped his walking stick against the ground twice and the talking stopped. "This is not war! This is a defense, given they gave the first strike without declarations of war. We have sent many petitions, yet the Ruler has responded with violence. But now, we will venture into their territory and retaliate! They will not harm the Soul Society any longer!" The Shinigami roared their cries and lifted Zanpakutō into the air. "Those whom are contemplating battle, head for the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. Kurotsuchi-taichō will give a short briefing; you will make your final decision here. For others, you shall stay at home to guard Soul Society; but many higher-seated members of the Thirteenth Division have already been assigned positions throughout Rukongai.

"Ones headed for war will follow Kurotsuchi and the first wave through Garganta portal ready at the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. Dismissed." The Shinigami roared as they headed in other directions to prepare for war, though there was a large concentration toward the Twelfth Division barracks.

I noticed Anson speaking to Yamamoto as I prepared for the Twelfth Division barracks. He then glanced at me and beckoned me over. Rosche, Jorden, and Brandon then stepped forward to face Anson as well. I walked over with thoughts ranging from 'Stay in Soul Society' to 'You will be the decoy to trap the Hollow King'.

It was nothing like that though. "Head-Captain Yamamoto," Anson said. "I have come to you of a request. Allow me to take Brandon Lee, a Shinigami Academy student, to the battlefield with me."

Yamamoto looked at Anson with an open eye. Though it looked old and fragile, it seemed to be brimming with power. It made me shudder when he spoke: "Why do you wish to place a student in further danger?"

"I have been approached by his father; the Third Seat of the Second Division. Due to the hierarchy of the Second Division, he must first report to Captain Soi Fon of his intentions, and so he told me to ask on his behalf." Brandon stared at Anson incredulously.

"Why would my dad ask of something like that!" he asked.

Anson glanced back. "I asked; he told me 'Something a father has to do after being gone for a while'." I could tell Brandon was easily stumped.

Yamamoto sighed. "Very well. You may have Brandon accompany you to Hueco Mundo. However, the conditions of war upon him are yours to blame."

"One more request," Anson stated. "Allow me to meet up with Urahara Kisuke." Yamamoto now stared at Anson with both eyes, though they were of surprise. "Perhaps I should have informed you, but Kurosaki Ichigo has been volunteering to go to battle ever since a week ago."

* * *

><p>Yamamoto had quickly sent a member of the Kidō Corps to activate the main Senkaimon to Karakura. I managed to catch up to Anson as we ran across the bridge. "Is there some reason behind bringing Ichigo Kurosaki to Hueco Mundo with us?" I asked.<p>

"He is a strong soldier. I have witnessed his act of bravery of taking on the Soul Society to save Rukia Kuchiki, nearly meeting Death several times. I have also seen the reports of his Vasto Lorde form, given he was 'created' a true Shinigami during Plus-Hollowfication in Urahara's Shattered Shaft. If he is able to control his Hollow-like instincts, he will help in the war to install a new government. This king isn't abiding by the Contract of the Spirit Realm, and so must be replaced."

"This is starting to sound like the start of the Twenty-First Century in the United States of America," I hinted. "We don't approve of other governments and because of our contract papers, we go to 'reform' the governments." I shook my head in frustration at the similarities.

The exit Senkaimon brought us outside the Urahara Shōten in all of its dingy glory; a small hut on an empty lot and stuck between two larger modern-day buildings. Jorden sniffed the air. "Smells like candy," he commented.

"Aside from selling Shinigami products," Anson explained, "he's also a candy-man. Doesn't mix well, but it allows income to come from both Spirits and Living." We walked through the hut's open doors. A red-headed boy greeted us bluntly, "This is the Urahara Shōten."

"We knew," Anson breathed, but the boy didn't hear.

"Hey, ol' geezer!" the boy shouted into the back. "A Captain's here, but where's the Garganta fixing guy?!"

Urahara's voice lazily projected from the back. "I'm coming, I'm coming..." He emerged his unkempt self and shifted the hat onto the top of his head. He brushed his clothes down before greeting Anson. "Greetings Raynes-taichō... you know about..."

"Yeah. Ichigo Kurosaki is getting impatient. Let's get your Garganta fired up, shall we?"

Leaving the red-head behind, we walked toward the back of the shop. A trapdoor lay on the ground. I peeked down only to see a speck of light at the bottom. "It's a half-kilometer ladder," Urahara said. "But it is made of spiritual energy, so normal people only see a black hole. I usually cover it with cupboards and stuff, but they get too heavy after a while." He jumped down the hole without starting to climb down.

"Don't worry. He is an exiled Shinigami," Anson said. "The Soul Society isn't looking for him anymore, but they still don't allow him in the realm though. But, Hueco Mundo is free ground, so it doesn't matter." Anson jumped down, following Urahara.

"Looks scary," Jorden said, approaching the hole.

"Just remember your Hohō skills. Push." With that, Rosche dumped Jorden's head into the hole. Absolutely unprepared, he fell through head first. A few seconds later, I thought I heard a distant crash. "Shit," Rosche said. "I may have broken a few of his bones by accident."

"Accident?" I asked as she jumped down. Brandon didn't respond, but he jumped down after Rosche.

_Definitely not an accident,_ Shionari commented, materializing for a moment.

"Of course..." I followed through with my jump into the hole. My heart raced as I started accelerating toward the center of the Earth...

After two seconds, I found myself plummeting toward a rocky plain, stippled with rock formations, dead trees, and large gashes in the ground. A small gathering of people stood before something like a portal frame made of paper-y stuff. I gathered Reishi underneath me to slow my descent, and I landed on the ground. A few feet in front of me lay a cracked crater. I walked toward the congregation of people and looked around. To me, Jorden seemed fine, though he was a bit dusty.

Aside from Anson, Rosche, Jorden, Brandon, and Urahara, there were four other individuals. I had already met Ichigo, the tall, orange-haired, delinquent-looking person, but the other three were unknown to me. Two were guys; one was slightly taller than I was, wore glasses, and was outfitted in white and blue clothing. His hair was neatly cropped on both sides of his head. The other was large and bulky, and his hair covered his eyes. The third, a young lady, was orange-haired just as Ichigo. She wore a purple blouse with flowers and an orange skirt. "Stop staring, it isn't nice," Rosche hissed, and I heard Jorden whimper in pain.

"I always thought you preferred flatter chests," Brandon whispered. He chuckled before grunting in pain.

"These perverts..." I heard Rosche say to herself, "why am I even friends with them...?" I turned my attention to Anson and Urahara, who were inspecting the frame structure.

"Apparently, it seems like it has been used quite a lot," Anson commented.

"I got a raise for gathering Hollow specimens for Kurotsuchi-taichō," Urahara explained. "I don't know why he needs so many Hollows, but I don't care anyways." I heard a sigh. "The SRDI belongs to him now."

Anson didn't reply to the comment. "You may need to replace the bindings."

"I would have, but I figured calling you, O Master of Portals, would be quicker than a month's work of inscribing Kidō runes onto paper. Plus, that's with Tessai helping."

"I'll see what I can do." Anson performed a few quick hand signs while chanting quiet words. Characters started writing themselves on the ground around him,then peeled off and surrounding him. He finished speaking while clapping his hands together. After a second, Anson let out his left hand and the characters poured onto the hand. His right hand pointed at the frame and stated "_kin_". The words latched onto the frame and an ominous ball of energy appeared in the middle of the frame. "_Akete_!" Anson commanded, and the ball of energy expanded into a background of visual noise.

Urahara clapped his hands in applause. "Wonderful! A month's work done in seconds. Your Kidō skills always fascinate me, Raynes-taichō."

"Permanent Garganta require much harder seals than permanent Senkaimon," Anson said. "To me, it was a three-out-of-four chance that I would work. Just remember; just say 'open' to open the Garganta and 'seal' to close it. It will also prevent Hollows from going to and from worlds through your shop."

Urahara nodded. There was the sound of metal hitting the dirt ground. Everyone turned at Ichigo, whom had drawn his giant trench blade of a Zanpakutō. "Let's go! What the hell are we waiting for?!" He turned to Urahara. "You told us to wait a week for the Garganta fixer, he did his job, so we go in, right?!"

"Yeah, but..."

Ichigo barely heard "but" before he dove into the Garganta. "He's really been itching to return to Hueco Mundo," the glasses person said. "The only time I've seen him go that badly was when you were abducted, Inoue-san." He referred to the orange-haired girl.

"Rukia helped him become what he is now, Ishida-kun," Inoue replied. "She's a very important person to Kurosaki-kun." The two entered the Garganta after Ichigo. The third grunted as he rose to his feet and jumped in after Ishida and Inoue.

"Raynes-taichō," Urahara said. " I hope you don't mind them too much. Hopefully, a Quincy and two humans don't interfere with your plans."

"It reminds me of _Zetsuen no Tempest_," Anson said. I was unfamiliar with the title; a book or TV show? "The main character saves the world, but only as a by-product of his actual goals."

"But, what are _your_ actual goals?" Urahara questioned ominously. "That's what everyone is waiting to find out." Anson chuckled. "Besides, I'll be waiting here. I do believe Kurotsuchi is having fun since he can bring home some Hollow specimens."

"I'll tell him you said 'Hi'," Anson said. "Rosche, Brandon, Jorden, Kai; let's go." I followed through as last in line. I was about to jump in when Urahara stopped me with a hand pulling my shoulder back.

"_Zetsuen no Tempest_?" I asked.

Urahara smiled. "Raynes-taichō is a cunning bastard. He can trick anyone. But it doesn't matter how he tricks you; it's more of a _why_ he tricks you. But let me tell you something.

"Keep what is important close to you. Don't ever, ever let that object of importance go. Do not abandon it. I wish I were there to tell Raynes about it, but that time is since gone." He pushed me into the Garganta, and the portal to World of the Living closed as I fell. I turned and saw little figures running on glassy platforms; Reishi.

The Quincy, Ishida, was floating on his panel of Reishi as though he were surfing. Anson was doing the same, with Brandon hitchhiking on the Anson's panel. Rosche seemed to be walking in mid-air, but she was only creating small platforms just enough to walk on. The others; Jorden, Ichigo, and the big guy; were running on large Reishi platforms, though the big guy was following along Ichigo's platform.

"Wait up!" I yelled, shunpo'ing after them. I set my feet down and conjured my panel of Reishi. I mimicked Anson and Ishida in riding their plane, surfboard-style. I willed myself faster until I had caught up with them. An opening ripped apart before us, and all I saw was a desert.

We all abandoned the Reishi platforms and landed in the sand. I took a gulp of breath; it tasted gritty unlike the "air" of Soul Society. "Welcome to Hueco Mundo," Anson announced.

He walked over to a tree and pulled a slip of paper. Markings were burned on the paper, but they were too small to make out. Anson, with his finger, drew a mark on the petrified tree, rubbing away a few layers of dust in the process. When Anson removed his finger, the air became heavy.

"Now; who is willing to share Hollow Reiatsu?" Anson asked.

Ichigo had already raised his blade. "Getsuga..."

Then came the confusion. Anson briefly disappeared and appeared in front of Ichigo. Ichigo's Zanpakutō flipped into the air and stuck out of the sand like a monument. "A Getsuga Tenshō with your caliber may as well destroy the frame into the next level of Hueco Mundo. We need something more forgiving..." He turned to me. "Kai; remember your first patrolling day?"

"Huh?" I replied, clueless.

"You don't exactly need to remember," he replied, waving his palm at me. "Just use your Zanpakutō on the space between these two trees here."

I warily drew Shionari, remembering Urahara's words about Anson. I released Shionari and was about to guide her toward the designated area...

A pillar of sand arose from the ground behind me, and I heard shrieking roar of a Hollow. I felt reiatsu build up to my right and heard Ichigo's voice: "Damn these things... Getsuga Tenshō!" and then heard something similar to a firework going off.

I turned at the commotion as a large sand-man of a Hollow was sliced in two by a crescent wave of energy. "You hit it!" Jorden cried enthusiastically.

"No, he didn't," Anson said, casually removing a World of the Living water bottle from his Captains' haori. In the place where the first sand-man stood, two more took its place, both about ten stories tall. "Now Ichigo... I'm sure you've encountered some Runuganga in Hueco Mundo during Aizen's insurrection. First, calm yourself. Next, find water or run. But since the latter doesn't apply to me, ask me."

"Then use the damn water!" Ichigo yelled. More and more sand-men arose from the desert around us.

"Concentrate Shionari in that general area," Anson told me, ignoring Ichigo's words. "The unlocking of the portal takes a large amount of Hollow reiatsu. I figured the amount you have will be enough."

"Then use the damn water, dammit!" Ichigo yelled once more.

"The gate will open with half a minute," Anson continued. "So, just wait. If you move Shionari away, we won't be going anywhere."

I nodded, but I kept my eyes on Anson. "Use the damn water!" Ichigo kept yelling, obviously mad at Anson. A Runuganga had drawn close, and had a hand outstretched at Ichigo.

"I told you to ask, not demand," Anson replied sternly. He then drew Jikan no Uranaishi and stabbed it into the ground. "_Akete_," Anson uttered, and a geyser of clear water spouted from the circle. Anson then pointed at the direction of the Runuganga, to which the water started to flow over the desert of Hueco Mundo. The horde of Runuganga evaporated in the torrent, while the water continued to flow.

"_Shimete_," Anson commanded, and the water ceased to flow. "Kai, is the gateway open?"

I drew Shionari back, and where there was nothing, now stood an extremely wide doorway about ten feet tall. Beyond the gate was a dark looming palace of some sort, like the Forbidden City in China.

* * *

><p>"Your majesty, the entrance to Hueco Mundo has been open."<p>

The king stood silence. "Thank you for stating the obvious, Sy. Take the prisoners to the secure tower. After this task, you shall mobilize the Hollow Forces. I am sure Raynes will come with his Shinigami partners. Send the Messengers to guard the interior; leave the Hollows after given instruction. Do not allow them to retreat; relieve them of their conscience for self-preservation."

"Already done, your majesty." Sy stood. "However, I shall deal with Raynes, and I will return once my task is finished."

"Bring me his head and body as proof," the king sighed. "The body will be burned in the throne room in my presence; I care not who kills Raynes, but whether the job is done or not."

"As you wish." Sy then exited the throne room and headed out for the window. He raised his scythe and shook it once; a clear jingle rang throughout the landscape; the Hollows emerged to meet the Shinigami.

"Only the clash of blades will create peace, but a little word will stir the flames of war. The two armies, both just in their arguments, shall meet on their appointed battlefield. And there shall be created a bloodbath that shall create a lasting peace..."

* * *

><p>"The landing zone has been secured!" Anson cried enthusiastically, uttering, "Bakudo Twenty-nine, <em>Noren Mukkuri<em>!"

A faint beam of light erupted from Anson's hand to reveal a portal frame connected by thin, shimmering threads of Reishi. Anson placed a hand on the frame and it expanded to the same size as the portal into the "Forbidden City". With two knocks on the frame, there formed a ball of Reiryoku, which then expanded to fit the entire frame. Figures appeared from the depths within the portal. "Where were you hiding that?!" Ichigo demanded. However, he was completely ignored.

"Together we shall stand," Anson declared, "and divided we shall fall. All glory, all honor; victory is upon us. In this battlefield, further fighting shall be averted by a bloodbath that shall create a lasting peace."

The roaring became louder as the Shinigami force poured out of the portal and into the Forbidden City. Ichigo gave out his own battle cry and disappeared within the ranks of Shinigami into the battlefield, with his companions closely following. Anson turned to me and said, "All of you come! We must reach the castle before Ichigo and his friends. The infiltrator has provided a path to the castle."

I nodded and drew my Zanpakutō, Rosche doing the same. "Bankai!" we uttered, and the five of us mounted on Mugen Shionari and Raimei Tori and surged into the carnage with the cries of Shinigami, the cries of Hollows, and the shrieks of Ceros all resounding beneath us.


	26. 25: Confrontation

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part IV: Hollows War Arc **

**Chapter 25: Confrontation**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>I looked down below.<p>

There were many black-robed people that swarmed in from one direction. They wielded blades of different types which flashed spectacular lights or altered the terrain. Occasionally, feeble lights would explode from a body as a sign of death. Both parties, the black-robed people and the monsters we fought, died the same way. No bodies were left behind; only the shimmering blue lights that disappeared around me.

So this was war. Both side will face casualties. But it was more bearable than wars in the Human World; men covered in blood, mutilated by wounds gushing red, eyes still staring into the sky. They left bodies. Spirit wars, however, did not. The only thing left behind were the memories of the lost.

"Kai!"

My name being called brought me to my senses. Anson had shaken me. "You look as though you're gonna hurl," he noted.

"I remember conflict like this in the Human World," I replied. "I can imagine bodies instead of lights."

"When you're a Shinigami, it takes some getting used to," he told me. "I went through the same phase. Many Shinigami went through the same phase. Just remember, one out of twenty Shinigami are retainers of their memories from the time they were alive." I nodded. Mugen Shionari took a burst of speed toward the dark castle with Raimei Tori following close.

"Hey Brandon," I heard Anson say," we've arrived at your destination."

"Huh?" he asked.

"See ya later." With that, Anson kicked Brandon off of the bird. He fell down, screaming as he fell to the ground.

* * *

><p>In just two seconds, Brandon had neared the ground of the Forbidden City. His rational thinking instinctively told him to gather Reishi to slow his descent. He looked up to then find himself in the midst of Hollows. "Ahh!" he cried, shunpo'ing into the air. Two bird-like Hollows met him in the air, and Brandon covered his head with his arms. Hollow screams indicated that they had been immediately cut down by an unknown aggressor... until Brandon opened his eyes.<p>

"It's been too long, Brandon," said his father. He hefted the giant axe-blades that were his Bankai. "I have been neglecting the family for quite some time. I believe I should have brought you along to hunt Hollows... I guess a war with them fares well enough. Let me teach you the skills of the Second Division."

* * *

><p>"Will Brandon be okay?" I asked, worried.<p>

"He got someone to watch his back," Anson replied. "Wish I could do the same with Jorden; he's better off being a frontline soldier than on this mission facing the Vasto Lorde."

"Shit, Vasto Lorde..." I cursed, "they are obviously not going to be easy to fight, so why bring an inexperienced?"

"Are you doubting your own ability?" Anson asked me. "Besides, that 'week-long' training has increased your Reiryoku at least ten-fold."

I was stunned. "How? It doesn't make sense; all I did was do a lot of Jinzen, practice Kidō, do some Hakuda training here and there, achieve Bankai..."

"General training, whatever uses your Reiryoku as a medium, will increase it. If done at a consistent rate, your Reiryoku will grow faster than just cram-training. If given time to let it grow and determination to keep nurturing it, that thing will grow toward its potential the quickest. You will survive the attacks of a Vasto Lorde, however, you should still be careful. Just because you've gained an increase in Reiryoku doesn't mean you can withstand being beheaded or can survive with a tattered heart."

I had to stop myself from putting my hand on my chest.

"But for now, focus at the task at hand. We have insertion in five seconds." I turned to the castle; we were going to crash into the wall if we don't do something." Anson then called to Rosche, "Breach pattern D! Hadō Fifty-four, _Haien_!"

Three pale, purple energy projectiles erupted from Anson's palm, along with three of Rosches. They formed a pentagon-like shape with one Haien in the middle. "_Dou-kan_!" Jorden exclaimed, saying the Japanese onomotapiea for "ka-boom". The castle wall exploded, and we dove inside the smoke. In the limited vision field, Anson fired Byakurai bolts toward the left of the hole we had made, and I heard the shriek of Hollows being burned by the Kidō. "Step Three, complete."

The smoke cleared, and Anson gestured Jorden, Rosche, and I to follow him. I decided to question his "Step" comments later.

* * *

><p>Ichigo immersed himself in the Reiryoku ribbons of the various Shinigami. He sifted through all of them, despite his impatience to search for the location of just one certain Shinigami. Most of the people he knew from the Gotei were here, surprised that they had mobilized into Hueco Mundo so quickly. He only noticed that Yamamoto was staying behind the frontlines, though that thought was brushed aside when that Reiatsu came.<p>

Ichigo rushed forward, simultaneously donning the Hollow mask and activating Bankai. He dashed toward the castle tower in the back right, sensing two other reiatsu. One he couldn't recognize, but the other he remembered clearly.

He let out a battle cry, echoed by his Hollow half's voice. He built up energy for a Getsuga Tenshō, and fired it at the building. There was a grand explosion, and Ichigo dove into the smoke clod he created.

Instead of entering however, he bashed his head on the roof's shingles.

"What the fuck?!" he cursed as he peeled off of the building. He had just jumped away from the building when a storm of blue arrows crashed into its roof. Ichigo turned to see Uryū behind him, wielding his miniature short-bow.

"Thanks," Ichigo muttered. "Hey, Uryū! What the hell happened to your spider web?! I thought you still had that flat-bow before my Fullbring training, then you bring that midget of a bow when we fought Kūgo!"

"It was intended as emergency weapon," Uryū calmly stated. "But the fact that it helps me with my Heilig Pfiel, I can create many more arrows than I could with Ginrei Kojaku. And it never was a spider web, you imbecile."

Ichigo brushed Uryū off and swiped his swiped his sword to push the smoke away from the tower. The roof was slightly battered, but Ichigo noticed that the shingles had become more blue. He slashed into the roof with Tensa Zangetsu, clearing off a large portion.

He jumped down, and faced the scythe Messenger.

"I hadn't expected you to come so early," Sy said.

Ichigo looked behind him. He heard his name being muttered, and glanced at Rukia. "You can cut the crap; I'm taking Rukia back. But first, I'm gonna kill you for what you did to Kensei, Rōjūrō and Shinji!" Ichigo ran forward to attack the Messenger, but Rukia held on to his arm. "Let go!" he roared.

"I won't let you!" Rukia yelled back.

Ichigo yanked his arm out of her grasp. Free, he dashed toward the Messenger and slashed. Sy merely batted the blade aside, the impact also causing Ichigo to skid back against the wall. A red blotch appeared on the Messenger's gloved hand. Cradling it, he said, "I have no intentions of fighting you, and the plans that have been in motion prevent me from doing so. My Lord has told me that in the scenario that you were to reclaim the prisoners, I would leave them. He is finished with her anyway." With that, Sy disappeared in with the sound of the Arrancar's Sonído technique.

"Finished?" Ichigo asked. "He didn't do anything to you, did he?" He glared at Rukia.

Rukia pummeled the back of Ichigo's head, cracking it and making him bend under the force of the punch. "You really think I'd let a creep like him do something to me?! What goes on in your head?!" Rukia then turned and bent down, cursing herself for hitting the hard mask.

Ichigo passed his hand over the place where he was hit, effectively regenerating the Hollow mask material. "You're safe now, that's all there is to it," he said finally. "Go back to Soul Society; I'm sure you've had enough of this hellhole."

"While you go and get yourself killed? No, I'm going along with you. I'm fed up with all of this 'damsel in distress' crap. I'm gonna slay some Hollows!" Rukia made a weird gesture that Ichigo immediately read as "up yours".

"Whatever you say," Ichigo said, relenting. "Nothing gets by you, huh. But who's that?" Ichigo pointed to the other Shinigami.

"He's Tsubasa Daichi," Rukia said, "from my brother's Division. He was a prisoner of war for killing a Messenger whom had been replaced. His execution was actually scheduled an hour after the invasion. And then they moved us here."

Ichigo was silent. "Why did you hold me back there?" he asked softly. "The Hollow King probably didn't, but that guy did do something, right?"

Rukia started to speak, but she stopped. She turned away, as if not wanting to make eye contact with Ichigo. "He... he saved me. Ever since I got here, he's been treating me nicely... even though I was a prisoner. Even Tsubasa; as much as an asshole he was to his Hollow wardens, Sy still defended us from some of the other Messengers. I just can't seem to think of him as an enemy. Maybe, just maybe, we could get along..."

"Hollows can never be friends," Ichigo cut in. "I told you; they killed my mother. Now, they take away my friends; that Sy guy changed them!" Ichigo bashed against the wall with his fist, leaving a crack in the stone. "Look, you can support that guy all you want, but I'm still gonna kick his ass for what he did to my friends." With that, Ichigo returned outside to leave Rukia to swallow the words he had said.

Rukia bit her lip and thought of Orihime's abduction. Of course, they had made Hollow friends; no they were only part Hollow. The fact that they had a humanoid mind changed that. _What would that Nel character have said?_ Rukia asked herself.

* * *

><p>The hall was pretty much deserted afterward. Few Hollows guarded the inside of the castle, and the ones that did were still easily cut down by Anson's blade, whether or not they were Adjuchas or not. I noticed that with every Hollow slain, Anson ran slightly faster.<p>

We approached a large square room with many slits in the side walls. "This is the throne room?" Jorden asked; walking forward. He pulled out a intricate knife that could have passed as a Forerunner weapon from the Halo franchise.

"It's his Zanpakutō," Anson said to me. "Perhaps I should have burned a few more since he kept it as a Constant Release..." I was about to question "a few more" when a piercing scream sliced my ears. A giant Gargoyle Hollow had descended from the rooftop and crashed into the floor with a crater. Evaporated reiatsu exited its nostrils as it assessed its intruders.

I stepped forward when Anson put a hand out. "Let's see Jorden's first battle with an Adjuchas," he said. "Besides, I can easily intervene if Jorden starts having a hard time."

"Won't be long," Rosche scoffed. She pointed, to which Jorden was barely evading from the Gargoyle Hollow's well-aimed Cero bolts. The few knives that seemingly appeared out of nowhere clattered off the Gargoyle's hide like plastic darts hitting a thick sheet of metal.

"It's not fair!" Jorden cried. He resumed his running away from the Gargoyle. An accurate Cero sent Jorden to the ground. The Hollow loomed over Jorden and prepared another Cero.

Suddenly, the Gargoyle froze. It started to disintegrate into black dust and lights, as though purified by a Zanpakutō. When it disappeared, the Cero squeal gradually faded away. Jorden emerged from his duck-and-cover and looked back at us. "I'm alive!"

"That's because Anson..."

Rosche was cut off. "I did nothing," Anson replied. We stared into the dark corridor across the expanse. A lone figure slowly approached us with clacking footsteps. Some flag-like object was attached to his shoulder... no, it was a scythe.

"Sy," I heard Anson declare. "You've come to defend the castle now?" I was slightly amazed, given that I had given him the exact same name.

"The Ruler has noticed your presence. The Messengers have been sent to exterminate you." From the shadows stepped six more humanoid Hollows, only identified by the masks they wore. Outrageously, I made connections to what their masks appeared as. Sy was Zero from Code Geass. The others resembled General Grievous and Darth Nihilus from Star Wars, Headhunter Master Yi and Full Metal Pantheon from League of Legends, Tobi from Naruto, and ProtoMan from MegaMan NT Warrior.

The Grievous carried a massive sword on his back. The Nihilus was armed with duo swords, hanging from his, or her, waist area. I couldn't see the weapons of the Headhunter Yi. The Pantheon was already favoring a spear, while the ProtoMan carried a similar sword to the Greivous, only smaller and shorter.

"Exterminate?" Anson said. "Remember, we've come to take him out. What he has done couldn't be denied as trivial to the Head Captain of the Gotei Thirteen."

Sy nodded. "He understands. But you're already outnumbered, so what is the point of continuing without ample forces..." There was a pause. "Or so I thought."

"Ya got that right!" came a voice from the side. The room suddenly heaved toward the right, as though momentarily sucked in by some spatial cataclysm. A black and red wave zoomed past us and eclipsed the Messengers behind a dust cloud. The cloud was swept aside, and there stood Ichigo, Rukia, and a few of the Captains.

"Raynes-taichō," spoke Head Captain Yamamoto, "have I told you of not leaving us behind and storming as a group?"

"Sorry," Anson said. "I don't like giving out 'secrets of intel' meant for me."

"So like you," Soi Fon chimed. "Anyway, Unohana will take care of your failed Twentieth Seat." Beside her, the Fourth Captain stepped forward to meet Jorden.

"We shall go back to the outpost, shall we?" she asked.

Jorden turned. "Ehh, I'm fine. I can still..."

"We shall go back to the outpost," Unohana cut in, "_shall we_?" So that was the fabled "scary repeat" that the rumors of Unohana spoke of. 'You would be scared into listening her,' they said. _Boy, were they right..._ Her smile, though tender, seemed scary already.

Jorden appeared as though lost all composure and surrendered, then left with Unohana. "You're not leaving," shouted the Tobi, a mysterious gauntlet materializing on his left arm. A yellow-colored energy erupted from his hand toward Jorden and Unohana. I almost saw Sy try to intercept the hand, but he had missed.

A light-blue arrow pierced the energy bolt, effectively destroying both projectiles. I turned at the newcomers to see Ichigo's other friends hovering outside the blast in the wall. I suspected that the one named Ishida had countered the bolt. I glanced away from them, and Unohana and Jorden retreat from the ensuing battle.

"Now," the ProtoMan spoke, "there are Kurosaki, the former prisoner, three Captains, and two Seated Shinigami. Seven Shinigami against the Seven Messengers. Now, does that seem fair?"

"Not fair at all," Ishida spoke. "There is a Quincy and a Fullbringer in the fight. It is nine against Seven." He raised a spider-web shaped bow at the Tobi. "Either way, I'm facing against the Hollow with the shiny gauntlet. It looks like a cheap version of a Sanrei Glove."

The Tobi rubbed his gauntlet. "This? I invaded some headquarters of an occult Quincy area, under the order of the Ruler of Hueco Mundo. I believe the organization was something like Vaderlike or..."

A Quincy arrow shattered in front of the Tobi's face, and a powerful yet demonic reiatsu shot forth. I glanced at Ishida, whom had the look of rage. I then noticed Anson stepping forward and drawing his blade.

"Bankai... Snapshot."

Suddenly, a circle appeared around Anson as his Zanpakutō assembled into its Bankai form. The circle suddenly expanded. My vision produced a gray-scale image of frozen silhouettes. Outside the blast hole was a background of visual noise. When I turned around, I no longer saw Inoue.

"Snapshot is one of my Bankai's abilities to copy an area and import it into the Nexus," came Anson's voice. Everything that had been grayed out was now suddenly regaining their color. Anson stood in front of me. To my left were Captain Soi Fon, Head Captain Yamamoto, Ichigo, and Ishida. Beside me was Rosche.

"Where did Rukia go?!" thundered Ichigo.

"She's safer in the original timeline rather than with this timeline," Anson said. "Once this battle is over, your conscience shall return to its original point. Fate has already decided how long each battle will last, so I have adjusted the timeline so we all return to the original timeline simultaneously."

Yamamoto stepped forward. "Raynes-taichō, you have explaining to do. This was not the Bankai you demonstrated during your Proficiency Test."

"Forgive me, Head Captain. Having you know that my Zanpakutō was this unique, you may have sent me to Zero Division and away from my tasks. I will ensure an explanation when we are finished." Yamamoto dipped his head once.

Anson then turned to Ichigo. "I will face Sy."

"No way! I'm taking him on!" the Substitute Shinigami said. "He kidnapped Rukia, and Byakuya told me to kill him for taking her away!"

"What is more important, your life or your pride?" Anson demanded. "Swallow your pride, and look at the bigger picture. You're not just "winning" anymore." Ichigo tightened his grip on his Zanpakutō and angrily spat on the ground.

Ishida stepped forward. "Spiral Mask is mine," he said.

"This 'Spiral Mask' has a name. It is Ez," he offered a hand toward Ishida. When Ishida didn't move, he lowered it to his side. "The fact that you don't shake my hand either means you don't have any trust, or that your culture has nothing to do with contact. However, I believe it's both."

"You killed clan members," Ishida stated. "I don't shake hands with an enemy."

Anson waved a hand and lights appeared around Ishida and Ez. The lights converged upon them, and they disappeared. "'Chatroom' is the technique of isolating one or more persons in a confined space in the Nexus. But, I certainly know of a Fullbringer whom has something of the same exact ability. He shares my ability, them I may as well share his name...

"Kai, Rosche, Soi Fon, and Head Captain; choose one of the Messengers. Sy, however, has been taken."

"How about, we attack and you may chatroom then?" asked the Yi, whose voice was curiously female. I was barely able to lift my sword and block a strike from the ProtoMan, though an upheaval of ground formed around me. The burst of reiatsu wasn't as strong as Ez's, but I knew I couldn't withstand it for long. It took all of my strength to shove him back, then I noticed that Yamamoto was holding off the Grievous with his cane, while Soi Fon and the Yi were locked in close combat. Rosche had barely managed to lock the Nihilus's dual blades in an intricate pattern of her whip. Ichigo was pushing back the Pantheon's spear with his Bankai.

Anson waved his hand yet again and the lights shimmered around me. I saw nothing, as if falling through the Void, and a light opened underneath me.

It was a chatroom alright. It was a bland cubic room that seemed to be decorated with Greek columns and arches. There was a lot of room to move around, and through the glass roof, I saw Hueco Mundo's crescent moon.

"There will be no interference from me," came Anson's voice. "You all know well I am engaged in battle with the Seventh Messenger. I do not have the capability to monitor six combatants while fighting an adversary of equal strength to mine; even possibly stronger. Therefore..." His voice cut off, and the Nihilus lunged at me.

"I am the replacement First Messenger; Forte."

* * *

><p>Soi Fon and the Yi were locked in a kicking spar, after their initial dashes. "I am Nin, the Second Messenger," she said.<p>

"Female Hollows?" Soi Fon retorted. "It can't get much better than this."

* * *

><p>Rosche curiously eyed the Nihilus from a distance. The Hollow had made no advance ever since the transport into the Chatroom. "Don't move," Rosche said. "This is going to be over in just a few seconds." She readied a Bakudo to hold the Hollow in place.<p>

"I'm tired. Have you something to eat?"

"Eat a Rikujōkōrō!" Rosche launched the beam of light, which split into six more beams. They slammed into the Nihilus's waist area... but then they started to deteriorate. "What?!"

"That was refreshing indeed!" The Hollow chanted. He raised his dual blades and disappeared. Rosche blocked the blades with another whip pattern, but rendered both combatants unable to move. "I am the third Messenger, Dol!"

* * *

><p>Ichigo drove the Pantheon away with a Getsuga, though the wall didn't seem to be fazed by the impact. Instead, the ornaments regenerated themselves from the cut. The Pantheon landed a few meters away from Ichigo and dove forward. "I see your Reiatsu... but I can also see the fear coursing through you... I am the Fourth Messenger, Par."<p>

"Par as in the number of swings to get a golf ball into the hole?" Ichigo asked. "You don't seem to be creative with your names..."

"At least I'm not a strawberry with a rotten top," said the Hollow. Ichigo drove him back with a Getsuga-enhanced slash.

"I hate it when people call me Strawberry. I hate it when people comment on my hair color. And it just plain pisses me off when they do both!" Ichigo jumped forward with his Hollow-enhanced speed, but Par blocked with the bracer on his spear arm.

"The fear has diminished... and that's just the way I like it." A bright light flashed from underneath the eye slits in his helmet of a mask...

* * *

><p>Yamamoto held the blade of the Grievous off himself with a hand. "Puny Shinigami," the Hollow spoke. "The King has already informed us of your abilities. All except for the two younglings... I am the Fifth Messenger, Kray."<p>

"For a young one like you, treating your elders with respect is the imperative," Yamamoto replied. "And I can only see you have none." He removed the cane disguise off of his Zanpakutō, drawing it and pointing it toward Kray. "Never shall I fall to the likes of you; this battle was over before it had even begun."

* * *

><p>The brief firefight between the two archers was only for Uryū to understand how the Hollow killed his enemies. It seemed that the Messenger fired only at Uryū's arms and legs, most likely to disarm him. "I will defeat you," Ez said, "though things may get a little hectic. For me, that is."<p>

"Keep talking and soon we're going to be listening to each others' life story," Uryū replied. "The sooner I shoot you down, the sooner for me to find out where the other Quincies are hiding."

"Then get past the Sixth Messenger, Ez! I will live up to the title of the second-strongest Hollow of Hueco Mundo, tied against Sy under the King of the Hollows!"

* * *

><p>"The time has come now, hm?" Anson questioned Sy.<p>

"I have been waiting a long time for this," the Hollow replied. "There will be no other chance."

"Give it your all," Anson said, raising Jikan-Tekina Munashii. "If either of us fails, the other shall have their task complete."

"He shall fall, I assure you," Sy said. "But first, I have to understand whether He was right or wrong in the first place... and why He chose me as Sy, the Seventh, and the strongest, Messenger. Of our separate paths to join can only mean the demise of the King of Evil."

Anson said nothing as he recalled the memories of why he was fighting now.

_Yes... I have come to take revenge. To take revenge against the one who took everything away from me. I will... we will, destroy him together..._

_Claire!_ Anson opened his eyes, and a newborn passion illuminated his soul as he delved toward the Beginning of the End.


	27. 26: Silent Noise

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**Part IV: Hollows War Arc**

**Chapter 26: Silent Noise**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p><em>"Forte." <em>

_I had barely relished the remains of a large Hollow whose name I forgotten. I raised my head from the remains as I finally ate my fill. It was normal for me, this life; prowling the Hueco Mundo sands and eagerly feasting upon any Hollow that I crossed paths with... or they with me. _

_"Forte." _

_The Hollow vanished, and I suddenly felt constricted, as if something was going to burst inside me. Was this the other Hollow's ability; to poison any that comes in contact with it? I cringed, my eight legs hugging my abdomen. A loud Hollow shriek pierced the air, and it was a few seconds of think before I realized it was mine. _

_"Forte." _

_I heard a cracking sound; something like the crushing of a building or the smashing of human transportation. No, the cracks were cleaner, higher in pitch, and more gruesome. It was as if I were crushing the life out of something... my eyesight went dark, but the darkness only lasted a few seconds. _

_"Forte." _

_I rose from my skeletal prison, the scorpion in which I was originally borne as. I no longer felt heavy, no longer having the need to walk on eight legs. Instead, the two I was given was enough. The stinger tail will be discarded, and I shall strike down my adversaries with a blade in my hands. _

_"Forte." _

_Hands. I have become humanoid. I have become like a human... and I have become like a Shinigami. So I shall cleanse the world of Shinigami, as they seek to cleanse the world of Hollows. For my transformation is complete, and I have become... _

_"Forte, Vasto Lorde."_

* * *

><p>The clash of blades echoed in the chatroom. I was being driven back by all of his blows, all with the ferocity of a lion or some other large, carnivorous animal... or possibly just large. Perhaps without that training in Anson's Nexus, which ended just yesterday, I would not have been able to fend off the pinpoint strikes and wide slashes that Forte was inflicting upon me.<p>

"... your Reiryoku has increased ten-fold..."

_But is ten-fold enough to defeat a Vasto Lorde? I am the Seventh Seat of a Division, for God's sake!_ My arms started to go numb, but I had to endure. One mistake would mean an easy victory for the Hollows. Another was that I did not intend to go down, at least not easily.

I ducked and sidestepped in tandem to dodge a strike at my elbow area. My arms needed a rest, even if for just a second. Forte brought his sword upward with a twist of his blade's grip, but I managed to throw off the course of the slash with a lucky kick at the blade's flat. It was more of a kick for distance rather than discourse anyway, but anything would be better than near that blade.

An instant of the deep sound of bass sounded in my ear, alerting me of Forte's presence. The Sonído movement had brought him behind me. I gathered Reiryoku as he prepared for a swing and I was knocked back due to the recoil of his sword hitting my Enkōsen. I skidded against the tiled floor, opening the first wounds I would receive in this invasion.

"I believed Shinigami to be far more stronger than this," Forte said, his feet meeting the ground with a _clack_ and continuing to my current position. "Instead, I found a weakling in the clothing of one. I wished to fight the Fourth Captain; the one who fled. She probably would be a better fight than you. She is a Captain, of course... or maybe she fled because she knew us Messengers were more powerful than herself?"

"Why support the Hollow King...?" I asked. I didn't know what occurred to me to ask, but I was curious. I also needed time; time to take a break. However, the only way to get it is for Forte to accept the temporary ceasefire...

Forte stopped over me and lifted the great-sword, point down, over my chest. "It is over, Shinigami," he said. I sighed and braced for the impending pain.

_You will just give up?_

The conviction compelled me to roll to the side to dodge the sword. It only managed to make a shallow cut on my left arm, but it was apparent that the blade was effectively stuck in the ground for some time. I shunpo'ed into the air and used my Shikai to tend to my wounds. Forte came up with a section of chatroom on his blade, which he flung toward my direction. I redirected the rock to the side with a Hadō One, Shō.

"Seems like you don't want to die just yet," the Vasto Lorde commented.

"I'm sure the same goes for you," I replied. "Death is a powerful conviction. I haven't done anything great such that my name may live on. I don't plan on dying till then."

There was an emanation of dark Reiatsu followed by a laugh. "Now that's how it should be. A fight until the bitter end!" Forte became shrouded by a blood red Reiatsu as he readied his blade.

There was a deep hum, and Forte appeared in my face. I ducked under his sword arm and having only a few hairs sliced off rather than my head. I whipped my arm up in a counterattack, but it met his body with resistance. I kicked Forte backward, though in addition to gaining distance, I also hurt my foot.

_Damn Hierro,_ I thought. I had forgotten about the Hollow's stone skin. I glanced at my blade to see a small dab of thick, red liquid. _At least I maimed him. _

A red ball of energy sailed past my head, shrouding me in dust. I instinctively raised my blade over my back, which blocked a sword strike there. The force of the blow sent me toward the ground, and my Reishi traction barely stopped me from hitting the ground. Forte met the ground with a crash, then rushed forward to attack.

I could feel his blood-lust.

He swung his sword and I caught it in a block. I used his momentum to my advantage by spinning with the direction of the blow and ending in a precise strike to his body. After piercing him, I readied another counter; I struck him seven times in rapid succession. He seemed be become angrier with each poke.

I jumped back from a two-handed, downward strike, which upturned the site of impact. I finally called upon Mugen Shionari to strike him, only to have the water dragon thrown to one side. _He can hit water? _

_His sword is moving at a fast frequency, _I heard Mugen Shionari say. _It disperses my being and I have to retreat to recompose myself._

Forte had dashed forward again and I raised my sword to block. As the blades collided, my faux sword was cut cleanly at the point of contact. His blade met my face and drew blood.

The Mugen Shionari waters rushed to tend to the wound. I looked at the hilt in my hand and I allowed the molecules to dissipate into water. I reformed the blade with the same water molecules that was originally the first faux sword. _I'll freeze it._ I turned to face Forte.

"Surely, you must be done," Forte said. "I do not wish to cut you into pieces."

"Not likely," I replied. I readied my sword into my custom fighting stance. I stared at Forte, noticing him inching towards me. I saw the quivering blade as if it were the scythe of death nearing me, threatening to end my life.

And it was so.

There was a loud crash as Forte used Sonído to clear the distance. I caught his blade to the side of mine, the water barrier on my hilt absorbing some of the jarring impact. I flung the sword to my opposite side and attempted to kick at Forte's shin, but he jumped back for distance and continued to barrage me with his blade. The water guard seemed to guide my hands and block the sword in complex maneuvers, though they didn't stress my arms in any way.

Forte released a hand on his blade and prepared for a downward slash. I lifted a finger and called, "Hadō 49, _Hyoketsute_!"

There was a brief flash as Forte was blasted back by the initial impact. His arms were frozen to his sword, which now seemed like a Kingdom Hearts Keyblade yet with many more teeth. Forte landed on his feet and flexed his arms to rid himself of the ice, but the sword was quite frozen and tried to buzz in its prison. I heard him mutter something about his Cero breaking his blade, but I barely registered the words as he dove towards me once again. Again, our blades smashed against each other, but the ice held strong.

Forte drove me backward, and swung downward on my head. I sidestepped the hit, but his sword sailed into a resting position and threatened to attack me with an uppercut. I lowered my sword to block.

The force of the strike sent me flying. My hands felt the faux sword cracking and shattering into fragments of ice and shattering once more into something like snowflakes. I caught myself by landing on the wall and pushing my feet against it with Kidō. I glanced up to see Forte jumping at me, but a shine caught my eye.

_Déjà vu. _

There I formed another weapon, something like a dagger at the end of a staff. I caught Forte's blade with the "guard" of the dagger and used Shunpo to push him into the air. He grabbed at my head and pushed my downward, plummeting me to the ground. I pointed a palm to the ground while throwing the spear-sword-staff thingy at Forte. Of course, it missed. Either way, he would be soaked.

The window at the rooftop exploded into a million pieces,and the reservoirs of the heavens was released into the room. Grand waterfalls filled in at the edges, while large raindrops pelted the ground with open air above it. Forte collapsed under a waterfall, seemingly drowning in the pool that was rapidly rising in volume. And while he suffered, I felt invigorated.

_You would do this to me...?! _Suddenly, an alien presence wracked my mind. In the water, I clutched my head, which did little to ease the pain. Something invaded me, something was destroying something precious. I clawed at my throat, which I would later recognize as the way the victims of Oyashiro-sama of _Higurashi no Naku Koro ni _would die. I choked, but I knew I could breathe fine in the water.

"Mugen..." I sputtered, "Shionari... seal..."

* * *

><p>The water was gone. The night sky could be visible if I were able to see it. Perhaps this was my time. <em>...Increased by tenfold... <em>I should have never trusted Anson; he led me to a blind defeat, yet it was already part of my fate. I wearily blinked. My hand that lay in front of me was red, and only a miniscule patch of skin hid under my fingernails. No blood... but it will soon be drawn.

In my hazy eyesight, I saw the Vasto Lorde trudge up to me. The floor echoed with the clack of his heeled boots. As they got louder, they more desolate, the more cold, I felt. This was probably how "death creeping at your door" surely felt. All you could do was wait...wait until your life leaves you. I felt the conviction to move. However, I could barely bring myself to lift a finger.

Forte was now above me. He grabbed my head and lifted me to his mask, so I could only think of Megaman NT Warrior as he spoke. "A foolish child. A hopeless warrior. And a weak Shinigami... all of these things; I have wasted my time with you. If you are the representative of the Shinigami who now fight out in the dunes of Hueco Mundo, I could easily toss ten of you aside in an instant." My head hurt at the crushing force of his fingers against my skull. "And now...

"You shall die."

* * *

><p>I was flying. Was I flying? I was definitely flying; I could not feel any surface that my body could be settled on. I was probably of the ether, one of the souls awaiting the cleansing of mind to be implanted into the mind of an infant. I would know nothing of what I had fought for, the accomplishments I achieved, the bonds I created...<p>

I felt my eyes water. "I'm sorry... Shionari." _This is goodbye._ I closed my eyes and let myself float.

Instead of more bright lights and the glare of an operating table light, my back received a lash of pain. I grimaced, and my eyes were forced open.

It was the chatroom. I saw the tiled floor and the Greek columns, albeit hazy. I even saw Forte, whom clutched the stump of a lost arm. It regrew itself almost instantly, and said something I could not comprehend. There was another figure though, but I couldn't turn my head. Forte called his sword to his hand, but a flash of blue intercepted and disconnected the receiving arm. Forte's sword clattered to the floor as I could hear the scream of the Hollow.

However, the blue figure was not finished. In fluid motions, it weaved around Forte with glinting lights. I saw Forte's erratic motions as he cried out in pain several more times. Soon, the flashes stopped.

Forte crumbled and dissipated into dust.

There was one more glint and the clatter of a blade, then the blue figure seemed to rush toward me. My eyes were able to focus and I saw a familiar face and flowing blue hair. A hand rested on my shoulder as a soothing feeling overcame me, and my vision was dominated by a shadow.

"Kai..." I heard a voice say.

"Hmm?" I answered.

"I'm sorry." I would have laughed if I could. Arms tightened around my body. "But the Hollow is dead."

"Is that so?" After a confirmation, I stayed silent for a while. "I feel tired," I said finally. "Can I rest for a bit?

"Sure... you've done enough."


	28. 27: Our Time is Short

**Bleach - Waves and Rapids **

**Part IV: Hollows War Arc **

**Chapter 27: Our Time is Short**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>Anson brushed aside his presence from the chatrooms. The other Messengers have been defeated. Kai was being tended by a blue-haired woman whom mysteriously appeared in the chatroom, but Anson was not puzzled. Rosche was resting above the roof window after her battle. Soi Fon and Yamamoto had defeated both their adversaries with complicated Hakuda movements, where Yamamoto was walking over to where he dropped his Captain's haori. Ichigo was swinging his blade around before holding it in a reverse grip, while Uryū seemed to gasp heavily after using a combination of his Schrende in conjunction with Licht Regen. Anson's mind wandered, but looked up to remember his objective.<p>

"I'm such a liar, aren't I?"

"I don't mind," Sy replied. The last Messenger was seated on the ground with crossed legs. "Besides, if you had to worry over your buddies during our fight, I would say it wouldn't have been as enjoyable." Sy stood up and pulled his scythe from his back. "Vasto Lorde... have changed since a hundred-or-so years ago."

Anson raised Jikan-Tekina Munashii and settled into a stance known as Soresu from the Star Wars franchise; his body was shifted to one side, with the sword hand back and level with his head. His other arm was stretched outward as to grab his opponent if he were to attack with a limb, or was slow with his weapon. The latter was completely out of Anson's options. "Possibly, that ever since that night nearly one-hundred years ago, the last Vasto Lorde for centuries was sealed away and so opened the Vasto Lorde physiology for their next generation?"

Sy's scythe blade crashed to the ground, slightly rupturing the ground around it. "So, you are implying that the One was the last Vasto Lorde for the last century?"

"Definitely. And that brings us to another question: what of the King of the Hollows? Is he one of the original Vasto Lorde, or is he one of the New-Era?"

Sy disappeared to Anson's side with Sonído, his scythe threatening to remove Anson's head. However, the blade was blocked by a barrier of light, but it wasn't Dankū. Sy unleashed a few more strikes, but Anson and his barrier wasn't fazed. Before long Sy retreated a small distance away. "Of course, his majesty would be very insulted."

"No doubt; but I don't plan on allowing him to live." Anson dashed forward, vaulting under the scythe as it was swung at him. He popped back up to strike at Sy's backside, but the Hollow had turned around to block with the scythe's shaft. Anson was pushed back, but he allowed the momentum to carry him as he briefly marked Sy's position with a small stream of Reiryoku. He set his feet against the wall he was thrown at and set a palm forward.

"_Sōkatsui_."

There was a small vacuum of energy into Anson's palm before enormous ball of blue energy erupted from it. The Hollow had noticed the obvious ball of death and had changed positions. So Anson shunpo'ed past the projectile to Sy's side to kick the Hollow into the projectile's path. However, the Hollow recovered quicker than Anson had gauged and dispersed the energy with a stroke of his scythe.

"I suppose you are saving your energy?" Sy questioned. "I'm sure you realize it will take much more than an inflated Hadō to pass me."

"If I had added the level," Anson said, "you would have to be a master sushi chef to have deflected the Sōkatsui. I merely overlooked how quickly you were able to control your aerial movements."

Leaving no time for Sy to reply, he shunpo'ed forward and began the choreographic blade dance where both combatants stood their ground. Anson's blade was deflected by a spin of Sy's weapon, but Anson carried the momentum into a spin for a direct counterattack. The blade now met the scythe blade, and Anson tilted his blade to carry the scythe out of the way. He stuck his foot out to unbalance the Hollow, whom vaulted over Anson's head and attempted a two-handed strike as he positioned himself upright. Anson rolled backward to dodge the blade, now kneeling behind Sy. Anson aimed at the Hollow's exposed back, but his sword was redirected by a well-timed kick. Anson made several back-flips to gain distance, ending in the starting stance of the Star Wars Soresu stance when finished.

A red blast of energy appeared in Anson's view and he caught the Cero with the power of his Void. He placed the exit portal between him and Sy, in which the Cero's explosion created a large smokescreen to hide his positioning. "Modified: _Jinsoku Byakurai_." With the aiming of his finger in the "finger-gun" gesture, Anson fired several Byakurai in rapid succession toward a congregation of small icons that seemed to move on its own accord. Anson felt all of the Byakurai hit his target, but the icons, which marked the places of contact with Anson's blade, didn't seem to falter.

The smoke from the Cero cleared, showing the brief silhouette of a larger Hollow dissipating as if slain. "Hollow Generation," Sy explained. "However, I do not approve of having those of significantly unintelligible beings doing my bidding."

"And so you use them as meat shields?"

"They are merely fragmented spirits without enough anchor to either world to form. I merely gather enough spirits to make a being, only to split them up when their purpose is served." Sy twirled his scythe, which summoned a falcon-like Hollow which dove toward Anson. "They serve both as shields and ephemeral projectiles."

Anson drew back and slapped the Hollow out of the air with the back of his hand. "Same as Lelouch vi Britannia. The results justify the means for you."

"I could easily say the same for you."

The two combatants raced toward each other, skidding to their halts as they came into the others' range. Anson lunged in with his sword to be blocked by Sy's scythe. Using the weapon as an anchor point, he back-flipped into the air and fired several Byakurai at Sy. The Hollow deftly deflected the bolts of Reiryoku by spinning his weapon about. After fending them off, Sy leapt toward Anson with his scythe at his side.

Sy fired a Bala at Anson, quickly followed by releasing a insect Hollow projectile. Anson was already wary of the Bala, and so opened up Void portals to redirect the destructive energy back at its source. The insect Hollow seemingly disappeared, but the Bala exploded as it made contact with Sy, resulting in a large plume of smoke. A few sparks flew before Sy exited the smoke cloud and watched for any movement from within it.

_Not now,_ Sy was thinking. _Now is not the time. Wait a while longer... when he would least expect it._

Anson came into Sy's vision as the cloud faded away. His hands were lifted above his head, sparking with Reiryoku. His mouth was rapidly moving, forming words. Sy immediately dashed forward toward Anson, knowing full well that any more charge to the Kidō will result in a large problem. And that was a complete understatement.

Anson grinned as Sy approached him. The scythe passed through him as if he were a hologram. "'ey, dandy-man!" came Anson's voice. "You missed." The hologram shattered into fragments and Sy was blasted by Kidō in the back. He fell to the ground, but managed to drop into a roll to minimize the impact.

"Hadō 63: _Raikōhō_." Anson lowered his palm as he waved the smoke away with a flick of his wrist. He looked down at Sy. "Some people fall for even the most simplest tricks."

"Even a careful person makes a mistake," Sy replied. "You seem to have improved at cloning with out the use of Gigai."

"I have been practicing." Anson twirled his sword around. "I trust you have been doing the same also?"

"Of course. It had been some time since we last met, so I would have forgotten the way you fight."

Sy and Anson charged toward each other with their weapons raised. When Anson was in his melee range, Sy swung his scythe at Anson's torso. Anson quickly formed a plane of Reishi to sidestep the blade and took advantage of the opening. He lunged forward, aiming for Sy's chest, but the Hollow managed to bat Jikan-Tekina Munashii's blade with the shaft of his scythe. Anson then kicked off of Sy's arm to make distance, then fired a Sōkatsui at Sy. At the same moment, Sy released a Cero; it collided with the Sōkatsui, resulting in a grand explosion and smoke cloud.

Anson, using the icon-targeting, fired his _Jinsoku Byakurai_ at Sy. To counter, Sy used Hollow meat shields and returned fire with avian Hollow missiles. Anson formed a large Enkōsen barrier to maximize his defenses against the onslaught. As for covering fire, Anson formed Void portals around Sy and started projecting various earthen masses from them. He heard a few _chunk_ sounds, followed with the sight of a smoke trail headed for the ground. Anson sniped it out of the air with a Byakurai, which turned out to be a generated Hollow.

Sy burst from the smoke cloud, positioned behind Anson with his scythe raised high. Anson raised his blade and caught the scythe in a lock. Anson then turned around and freed his sword from the lock and shunpo'ed around Sy for a strike to Sy's back. Sy then disappeared somewhere, using Sonído, as Anson swung the blade.

Anson caught Sy through the fading smoke cloud, readying a charged Cero. Anson created a hologram depicting himself charging a Sōkatsui before he shunpo'ed into a thicker portion of the smoke cloud. Sy released the Cero, and Anson jumped out with his left hand charged with Kidō. Sy raised his scythe to defend himself, and Anson brought his blade upon the scythe. Locking the blade, Anson jabbed forward with his hand and uttered, "Raikōhō!"

There was a grand explosion that flared out behind Sy, whom plummeted toward the ground. _He's always somehow getting past my defenses. I need to distract him somehow... _Sy clenched his scythe tighter before locating the Hollows he had summoned. _That's right..._

Sy dashed forward at Anson in a zig-zag pattern to evade the Jinsoku Byakurai. He leapt up at Anson and spun around to swing his scythe at him. The blades crashed in to each other, starting in another sword dance; Anson shoved Sy off of himself and went in for a lunge. Sy followed the movement in the shove and back-flipped, generating distance to evade the blade. Anson kept up the aggression by closing onto Sy and thrust his sword at pinpoint marks. Sy spun the scythe in somewhat dramatic maneuvers to bat the sword aside.

Sy then lashed forward, swinging his scythe in Anson's general direction. Anson shunpo'ed away to evade the blade and started firing Jinsoku Byakurai at Sy. Sy dashed into the hail of fire, not caring if the Byakurai tore at his cloak already. _This is my chance!_

Sy charged a Cero over the distance. He poured all the energy into this last blast before releasing it. It flew at a great velocity, almost that of a Bala. Anson was obviously alarmed at the size and Reiatsu-level of the Cero, and he opened up a portal to swallow the Cero and spit it out somewhere else. "Void!" Anson called.

_He's doing it?!_ Sy wondered.

"Hadō 63: _Raikōhō_!" A portal opened up near his hand, and he released the Kidō through the portal. Sy felt a rush of air behind him as the exit Void portal opened in that general direction. Sy gestured at the portal as the Raikōhō blast came out of the Void tunnel. Sy used Sonído in an upward direction to leave the Kidō's path of travel... and place Anson in it.

Anson saw the blast approaching, and so dispelled the Kidō in midair by making a gesture that seemed like he was pulling away a curtain. However, in the Kidō was an insect Hollow projectile.

"Good game," Sy commented. "Well played."

* * *

><p>Sy strode down to Anson, whom lay on the ground paralyzed. The insect projectile was the carrier of a special poison from mixing different Hollows' poisons for an instant anesthetic. In the dose Sy had stored in the insect, even an elephant would collapse immediately.<p>

Sy gasped heavily. The battle had ended.

_Bring me the head of Anson Raynes,_ told the voice of the Hollow King to Sy.

"In the end," Anson said, "I was too cocky."

"It is better to do more than do less," Sy replied. "Accomplishments-wise, that is. But your time ends here." Sy raised his scythe. "Until next time... Anson Raynes."

And so fell the blade of fate.


	29. 28: Cold, Hard Truth

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part IV: Hollows War Arc **

**Chapter 28: Cold, Hard Truth**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>The King of Hollows peered down at the battlefield from the tallest balcony of his fortress. The black figures of Shinigami were pushed back; isolated and losing. Were he human, he would have smiled at the successes. He returned indoors and set himself in his throne. A goblet floated above his hand and filled itself with wine.<p>

"Obviously, Hollows eat souls, and not drink wine."

The King looked down at the humanoid Hollow knelt down in front of him. "If you did not have an important message to relay, I would have executed you, at this spot, this very moment. But, with your appearance, I'm sure you have news."

"Forgive my rudeness, milord, but it is regarding the Messengers. We have both bad and good news." The message bearer tensed as he started. "The bad news is that six of seven Messengers have perished."

The King flung the goblet of wine at the Hollow. The cup shattered as it hit the ground, splattering its contents across the Hollow's figure. "Six?! My most powerful soldiers... and the Shinigami are losing the war battle..."

"The good news is that the remaining Messenger, Sy, has defeated Anson Raynes." There was a pause. "Anson Raynes has perished."

* * *

><p>"Kai. Kai? Are you there?"<p>

I slowly opened my eyes. I saw Rosche's face hover over mine. My head hurt, but not as much as it did when I was still in the chatroom. "A little close for comfort, Rosche..." I muttered. I slowly rose up to my feet, but I lost my balance and had to lean against the wall. "Anyways, the fact we are all together means that all of the battles are finished. But...where's Captain Raynes?"

The six of us turned to the end of the corridor to see a silhouette against the background. "It can't be," Ichigo said. "That bastard Anson!"

The figure stepped forward. "Six have perished, but the last will live on." Sy emerged from the shadow, although greatly battered. "Soon, His end will come."

"Captain Raynes..." I breathed.

Ichigo charged forward with his Bankai raised. Sy caught Ichigo's blade as it was swung and threw Ichigo back to us. He crashed the the floor and skidded away. Rukia and Inoue knelt down to tend to him. "That bastard... he said he will kill him, but he dies instead?!"

The air became heavy as a wave of heat surged past us. I couldn't breathe normally, and was on the verge of unconsciousness. But the burst of Reiatsu, along with the heat, only meant one thing.

"Remove everyone from the area," ordered Yamamoto, his sword now billowing flames. "I will personally remove this one whom has slain Raynes." Yamamoto charged at Sy, whom ducked under Yamamoto's strike and grasped his arm. Sy then pulled Yamamoto down and kicked him back to us. Yamamoto's grip on his sword became slack, and the temperature dropped significantly.

Sy gave a loud sigh. He produced a comms device from his uniform and buzzed a crackly voice, but the words were mumbles as from where I could hear it. There was a click ending the message. "The King of Hollows cordially invites the six of you to the Throne Room. However, you have the final say on whether you shall arrive or not. The battle outside signals our victory nonetheless." Sy then turned to leave.

Yamamoto rose to his feet and raised his Shikai. "And you shall not leave!" He waved the blade at Sy, creating a wall of flames that crossed the Hollow's path. However, Sy walked through the flames, seemingly unscathed, and disappeared.

* * *

><p>"We can't hold them much longer!" cried a Seventh Division member amongst the carnage. "Even with the steady influx of combat Reigai, we can't seem to gain ground!"<p>

Jorden looked back at the portals. His Zanpakutō, Henkei,was currently in the form of a scythe, given its unique ability to change into any weapon. He recently slayed a low-class Hollow, but his attention had diverted to the Seventh Division member and his Captain.

"Remember, keep up what you have been training for and the outcome shall be what you wished," Captain Kyoraku stated. "Besides, I believe the Hollows are just warming up."

Jorden could easily feel the air being hotter as a plume of flame ejected from the castle building, clearing a large mass of Hollows.

"My, my, the old man sure is angry," Kyoraku noted, leisurely slicing through an Adjuchas. "Hopefully, nothing too drastic happened up there."

Jorden looked at the Captain, then back at the castle. _I don't know what happened, _he thought, _but it seems though Anson's Reiatsu just... disappeared._

* * *

><p>"Your swordsmanship has improved since your first year," Brandon's father said to his son.<p>

"I guess Kai's training rubbed off me," Brandon replied cheerfully. He mimicked his father's movements in fending off Hollows that were trickling through the defensive formation of lower-seated Second Division Shinigami. "He visits from time to time, but it gets lonely sometimes. But training against the real thing is actually more beneficial than imaginary enemies."

"Of course. Your imagination can only do so much at once. Now, when the Hollow lunges in..." Brandon soon lost the voice of his Father and began to mentally wander.

_Anson... Kai... Hopefully, you're making progress to the King._ He resumed the training session, making careful movements to copy his father's actions.

* * *

><p>The throne room doors were just ahead.<p>

"Inoue," Ichigo said. "Heal us. Until then, we will think of something..."

"What do you have in mind?" Soi Fon asked. "Without Raynes-taichō, we technically lost. You saw what happened with Sy and Yamamoto; that guy just walked through the flames as if it were a curtain of beads!"

Yamamoto glared at Soi Fon for a second. "Of course, that was merely my Shikai. We shall not fall back now." Inoue's healing light glowed around Yamamoto though I could see no visible injuries on him, save the scars. "His death cannot be left in vain. He has already weakened our enemy. If we retreat now, we are allowing them to win when they can reform their ranks."

"The Hollows form faster than we can gather Shinigami or construct Reigai," Rosche said.

"So the only thing we could do is attack the King now," I instinctively said.

"We shall enter once we heal..." Ishida said. "The less time spent dawdling, the easier we can defeat him; the King and Sy." He glanced at Rukia. "Of course, our numbers will have to be split between the two."

"And it would be best if Head-Captain did not need to release his Bankai," Soi Fon said. "It would be disastrous to the outside battle... if Yamamoto-sotaichō released his Bankai, we would lose the accessibility of the Zanpakutō of Socrius and Hitsugaya-taichō." Yamamoto didn't glare this time. "Even I would have to accept that fact; otherwise the larger scale battle would have lost a large Hollow eradicator."

"However," Yamamoto declared, turning to the throne room doors, "I shall release Bankai if the situation arises. There shall be no complaint."

"The question is..." I said, "can we win without Anson?"

Yamamoto headed toward the doors. "Anson... shall not be needed. He has already fulfilled all that is needed of him. Kuchiki-taichō and Hitsugaya-taichō are controlling the number of Hollows in the battle. We now have four Captains to avenge... we are fighting this war for them."

* * *

><p>"Sy, you may rise."<p>

The last Messenger arose from his kneel, and faced the King.

"You done a great service to me by slaying the enemy. Yet your comrades fell, you completed the task I had bestowed upon you. I would find a way to honor your actions, but you have already attained a higher position in the hierarchy of the Hollows."

"Of course, I have no need of reward," Sy replied.

"But, I wish for you to present the head of Anson Raynes, the enemy."

Sy produced the decapitated head of Raynes, bloody at the neck area. It bore a surprised expression, one that did not see death creeping up behind him. Sy's mouth salivated, and he swallowed as he presented the head to the King of Hollows.

"Raynes... you were only a nuisance to me since the beginning. However, there was only one thing you were unable to measure: the strength of the Vasto Lorde I have brought up." There was a pause. " We have guests knocking at the door."

The doors flung open, and a black bullet shot forth. Ichigo Kurosaki, bearing his Vasto Lorde mask, raised his Getsuga-enhanced Bankai and prepared for a slash at the King of Hollows. From the opening, there was the shout of curses as Ichigo neared the King of Hollows.

In mid-air, Sy intercepted Ichigo with an arc of his scythe, impaling Ichigo in the chest. The Substitute Shinigami stopped as his mask seemed to peel away from his face and was blown back to his group. Sy heard the screams of Rukia and the orange-haired female as Ichigo's body skidded across the room. Small patches of blood dotted the red carpet from the entrance to the throne.

"I may have to order another carpet..." cursed the Hollow King.

Ichigo rose to his feet and brought his hand over his face. He suddenly became confused as he kept the gesture up for two more times.

"Kurosaki," Sy said. "Not only does my power allow me to generate Hollows, but I am able to infuse and remove Hollows from a person's soul. No longer can you Hollowfy."

"You... fucking..." Ichigo's words faded as a bright light enveloped him, repairing the wound that was just dealt to him.

"You wished the Hollow's power of the Shinigami-Hollow Ichigo Kurosaki?" Sy inquired to the Hollow King.

"The greatest servants know exactly what the master wants without the master requesting it..." A red light exited the scythe and flowed into the Hollow King's body. After shining a hue of crimson, the King rose from the throne and held up the head of Anson Raynes. "You all shall die! No longer do you have the strength to overcome me!"

The Hollow King dashed forth, in his hand a viciously curved scimitar. Sy merely inspected the dropped head of Raynes, which suddenly shattered into fragments of various hues of blue. "Your Beginning of the End has come..." Sy whispered. He raised his scythe and leapt toward the Shinigami.

* * *

><p>There they were. The strongest of Hollows now out to decapitate me and my fellow Shinigami. <em>Why! Why did you leave us Anson!<em> My eyes welled with tears as I raised my blade. _What... is there really a way to turn this around?_

A large sword intercepted between us and the Hollows, shrouding us in a billow of smoke. I briefly heard Yamamoto's voice, whom said something like "Komamura-taichō". However, the sword suddenly dematerialized.

"Ungrateful bugs..." the Hollow King said, having shot the anthropomorphic fox out of the sky with a Bala. "Now, Yamamoto! Your end is first!"

My ears. I didn't trust my ears. I thought I heard the sound of flesh being run through by a chainsaw or some bladed object. Instead, there was something I wouldn't have expected.

_Clang._

"Head-Captain Yamamoto," said a familiar voice. "There is no need to release your Bankai. It would be better if a miracle happened instead."

The smoke faded, and a tear dripped down my face.

"How... did you return...?" Yamamoto demanded. "Raynes?!"

The Captain of the Fifth Division looked back and smiled warmly. His hand, encased by brilliant lights of Reiryoku, held the blade of the Hollow King back. "Guys, don't worry. I only used a lifehack, that's all."

"Sy... I thought you killed him!" The Hollow King glowered at his subordinate.

"I have killed him requested," Sy spoke. "But the head I presented was a trigger; when it expired, it opened a portal that allowed Raynes to return." There was a pause. "However, it was all part of a ruse that was to return the seat of power back to me."

"Re... return?" Ichigo asked, dumbfounded.

I would have said the same, had I the notion to add my two cents.

"Correct," Anson said, pushing back the Hollow King with another burst of Kidō. "This 'Hollow' was not the original King of Hollows that I knew of... instead, this one is but an invader to the throne..." Anson raised his palm at the King. "Bakudo One-Hundred-Four: _Kitakaze_." A wind started howling in the direction of the Hollow King, encasing him in a twister of opaque, blue Reiryoku.

"Bakudo... higher than _Ninety-nine_?!" Yamamoto was obviously stunned beyond relief.

"All shall be explained in due time." Anson pointed a finger at the twister. "For once, one meeting himself will not result in a time paradox."

At the far side of the room, I looked on as the twister subsided. The North Wind, as the Bakudo was translated in my head, had stripped away the shadows that hid the Hollow King's body from view. For a moment, I thought I saw another Ichigo.

"Correct," Anson said after a few seconds. "Ichigo Kurosaki... no, rather the Hollow that which resides in Ichigo's Soul, is the 'King of the Hollows'."

"And the Head-Captain deserves an explanation about yourself... Raynes-taichō," Soi Fon suggested. "Presumably after the final battle." She and everyone else readied their weapons. I hesitated before drawing my sword.

"Of course," Anson replied, sighing once. His body started to shimmer. "Now that I have come this far, nothing hinders me from going all out." Dust whipped up, but I clearly saw that the Kanji of Five on Anson's haori now began erasing parts of itself...

It now became a straight horizontal line.

One.


	30. 29: Everything, Yet Nothing

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part IV: Hollows War Arc **

**Chapter 29: Everything, Yet Nothing**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>Jorden looked around himself. Just a minute ago, there was a huge release of Reiatsu. Following that, it seemed as though the Hollows were in full retreat. But that didn't seem plausible; they were souls that instinctively hunted other souls to their bitter ends.<p>

Jorden called his Zanpakutō to become a shield as a stray Cero came flying toward him. This was another unexpected element; even the Hollows' Reiatsu seemed to have weakened. Jorden peeked from behind his shield at the foreboding castle. Now, he could clearly sense Anson's Reiatsu. It was almost like a crushing weight, like something that constantly pulled Jorden down, something that was always there and yet invisible.

"You're winning the fight up there, aren't you Anson?" Jorden called. "If you are, let's win the fight down here too!"

* * *

><p>I glanced at Yamamoto to see his expression. His right hand was on his cane of a Zanpakutō, but his left hand was clutching his haori. I looked back at Anson.<p>

One.

The Kanji stared back at me. Another Captain of the First Division? Was there something everyone had missed? Was Anson an imposter of being the Head Captain, or was Yamamoto merely a placeholder, a steward, while Anson squandered in the lower seats of the Gotei?

No, that's not right. It would only be valid if Yamamoto weren't so tense about Anson revealing _that_ haori.

"Where did you obtain that haori?" Yamamoto asked. It was more of a question rather than a demand.

Anson stood rigid while facing the King of Hollows... Hollow Ichigo. "Have you more questions?" Anson asked impatiently. "Captain Kyoraku gave it to me when I defeated him in combat for the title of Head Captain of the Gotei Thirteen."

"Kyoraku? When was the role of Head Captain transferred to him?"

Anson took a step forward at Hollow Ichigo. "There is little to no time to tell you even a portion of the history of the Gotei as I know it. My explanations will result in many more questions to rise."

I could tell Yamamoto didn't want to accept the answer, but his shoulders did go slack.

For a time, none of the members of each party moved. The ground shook with a tremor, causing dust to sprinkle on our clothes. A small rock dislodged itself from the roof and cracked near Hollow Ichigo's foot. Anson dove in for a strike, Jikan-Tekina Munashii in the perfect Star Wars lightsaber form of Juyo...

* * *

><p>The ground shook. Dust fell. Nonetheless, Anson kept his eyes on Hichigo. It took the majority of his composure to keep himself from running in blindly. Anson quickly blinked, and his arm relaxed as he saw that Hichigo had not yet moved.<p>

There it was. A section of rock had been shaken loose from the ceiling and fell at Hichigo's foot. His eyes darted to the rock that fell at his left, and Anson set his sword at his side and shunpo'ed at Hichigo's right. At the same time, Sy charged at the side where the rock had fallen.

Hichigo gauged the speeds of his two attackers. Of course, he would be under the influence of Raynes's Shikai and so move slower than he actually would be. So, Hichigo only had to surpass Raynes's Reiatsu in order to be free of the timeline manipulating power that supposedly lorded over himself. Hichigo raised his scimitar, holding it out straight in front of him.

"Slay those who resist..." he started.

Anson gritted his teeth in alarm. _No!_ he thought, _the gathering of Reiryoku... the resulting Reiatsu...!_ He looked back at the Shinigami merely watching the fight. _The resulting Reiatsu may kill them!_

"Bankai: Jikan-Tekina Munashii!" Anson called, his blade automatically forming before he had finished the seal.

"_Zangetsu_!" Hichigo stated, becoming enveloped in a black and red Reiatsu. A grand explosion rocked the palace... no, the Resurrecíon itself caused an earthquake among the desert land of Hueco Mundo. The group of Shinigami and Ichigo's company were thrashed to the ground.

The smoke subsided. Kai looked down under him, noticing that he was floating in the air, along with the other Shinigami. However, he never called upon Reishi to suspend himself. "Wha... what happened?"

"The Resurrecíon of a Vasto Lorde Arrancar releases many an amount of energy..." Anson said, "I was, however, able to contain the output of energy that would otherwise destroy the multitude of Shinigami outside, not to mention Hueco Mundo itself."

_Old Man Zangetsu was right..._ Ichigo said to himself. _My Hollow... now fully formed... has the power to reduce spirit entities to dust... It's a good thing Anson can block it, otherwise we'd be done for._

"And that means I shouldn't stand around and do nothing!" Ichigo yelled as he shunpo'ed at his former Hollow.

"No! You idiot!" Anson cursed. The man's action was so quick that Anson barely missed pulling Ichigo back. _This wasn't supposed to happen due to the timeline...! But if things keep changing..._

The Hollow's Reiatsu parted and revealed a fully armored figure with blades for hands and two-toed appendages for legs. A chalk-white mane flowed from the full-face helmet that was the Hollow's mask. From the forehead area sprouted two bulls horns. All in all, he looked like some sort of super-sized, battle-modified insect. Ichigo, unfazed by the transformation, still went head-on with his intended attack. Instead of making contact, Ichigo was blown backward by a wave of Reiatsu.

"Your blade cannot cut me now," spoke the Hollow. "Not only have I absorbed the Reiatsu of your inner Hollow, but this vessel is the body of Kurosaki Ichigo from the future. Of your caliber, you will always lose."

Ichigo thrust his Bankai into the ground to help lift himself up. Figures zoomed by him, all engaging Hichigo.

"Inoue!" Kai was saying, "focus on defensive shields! I'll take over the healing role!" His Shikai split into many entities, each for a man in the battle. "Sado! If you can, try to tank the Hollow's attacks!"

Soon, Anson was catching on. "Captain Soi Fon, disrupt the Hollow with Shunpo; help our tank. Yamamoto, perhaps you can shield his Reiatsu with yours to relieve the pressure that keeps us down. Sy and Rosche, help me with the front-line."

"Rukia!" said Kai. "He seems very mobile, no doubt. Could you use ice to keep him in place, if not slow his movements? Oh, I guess Ishida can help Sado in dispelling the Cero and Bala..."

"Give me a role!" Ichigo called!

"FRONT-LINE!" Anson and Kai shouted, and Ichigo immediately shunpo'ed forward.

The party of eleven engaged on the lone Hollow, showering him in blasts of Reiatsu, Hakuda techniques, and the slashes of blades. Uryū, Rukia, Orihime, and Kai stuck to a distance while Chad, Soi Fon, Yamamoto, Rosche, Anson, Sy, and Ichigo attacked Hichigo from all sides.

"Insolent bugs!" Hichigo cursed, attempting to counterattack with a Cero; it was destroyed by one of Uryū's Seele Schneiders. He tried to release a burst of Reiatsu; it was slightly nullified by one burst of Reiatsu from Yamamoto. He wanted to Sonído; his feet were continuously frozen to the ground by the abilities of Rukia's Sode no Shirayuki. He tried to attack the front-line, but his upper body was impaired or twisted to the Hakuda techniques of Soi Fon. Any attacks that were able to trickle out were defended against by Chad. He was forced on the defensive by the attacks of Anson, Sy, Rosche, and Ichigo. Little by little, his armor and Hierro chipped away to the constant battering it received.

About five minutes of this onslaught, Anson finally withdrew from the offense. The released Hollow Ichigo lay on the ground in his contorted Hollow form. Anson raised his Bankai blade and approached the Hollow. Yamamoto started forward, but Anson held a hand. "After this is over, I shall explain. But that will not start until this one has ended." Yamamoto wordlessly complied and took a step back.

Anson looked at the Hollow that lay before him.

_Claire._

Anson raised his empty hand. "Bakudo One Hundred-Seven: _Meikaku_." This certain Kidō allowed Anson to penetrate through the defensive Reiatsu and into the target's Reiryoku. There were many uses in inspecting one's Reiryoku, but the primary reason was to disclose one's identity. There was no doubt, this was the Hollow Ichigo from his own timeline.

_Of course this is the Hollow Ichigo,_ Anson laughed to himself. Then he felt a hand wrap around his ankle.

He looked down to see that the Hollow's blade arm has materialized into a claw of sorts. "Raynes... you cannot best me...!"

Anson, still able to read the Hollow's Reiryoku with Meikaku, gauged that even he wouldn't be able to fully counter the incoming Reiatsu burst. "Snapshot!" Anson cried, thus sending him and Hollow Hichigo into the Nexus.

* * *

><p><em>Another burst of Reiatsu,<em> Jorden thought as his attention shifted to the fortress. _Anson must be doing fine..._

The Hollows had become substantially weaker in terms of strength, and Jorden was able to slay multiple Hollows with ease. He utilized his Zanpakutō's ability to change in order to be instantly prepared for another attack.

"Captain!" called a Division member at Captain Kyoraku. "The Hollows are starting full retreat at the far side of the battlefield. Shall we begin the final push?"

Kyoraku only gave a small grin. He unsheathed the second blade of his Zanpakutō, the wakizashi, and twisted his neck around to rid out the kinks. "You all may fall back. Seems now my Zanpakutō wants to play~"

Kyoraku stormed forward a twirling menace, Hollows dissipating by the tens as the Captain rushed forward. Jorden could only look with amazement as Kyoraku disappeared from view. _I wonder if Anson could do that... he probably can so... I want Anson to do that..._ Jorden whipped his Zanpakutō, in the form of a scythe, onto his shoulder. He immediately heard a cracking sound behind him. Jorden turned backward to see that a Hollow just started to break down into Reiryoku.

"Sorry..." Jorden said, sweat-dropping as he said so.

* * *

><p>The throne room was completely destroyed.<p>

The fortress had a huge section of it destroyed. A large spherical gap now dominated the building's northwest area. However, a section of floor floated in the middle of the gap, supported through the use of Anson's Bankai abilities.

He was struggling under the weight and force of Hollow Ichigo's blades. He glanced back, seeing that his fighting party had sustained substantial damage. Right now, Orihime and Kai were doing their best to heal the group. Ichigo was the first to rise up and attempt to return to the front-line.

"Getsuga..."

"Stay down," Hichigo commanded. From the twin horns of his mask, he released a Bala, throwing Ichigo further back. He returned his attention to Anson. "Give it up..."

Anson only twisted his Zanpakutō in a fashion so that Hichigo's blade arms veered toward the ground. During the maneuver, Anson, using the lording properties for his Nexus, pulled the ground to be level with the Reishi platform and then dispersed the platform. Anson then used the motion of his blade to strike at Hichigo's right shoulder and managed to draw blood. _The Hierro has weakened enough! As long as I can evade his attacks, I could defeat him single-handedly..._

Anson shunpo'ed past Hichigo to evade the Hollow's counterattack. Seemingly unfazed at Anson's disappearance, he turned to the group being healed. He juggled the usefulness of the ones currently recuperating for battle and decided to rush towards them.

Anson used the time-slowing properties of his Zanpakutō and quickly searched the ways to protect the group. All ways that included him conjuring massive amounts of Reishi to protect the group would hinder his ability to combat the Hollow efficiently. So he had to resort to physical matters...

_Not only Void, and not only time..._ Anson declared to himself. During his duel with Byakuya, he wanted to keep low profile about his skills; he flung objects by using the Void. This time, will not be the case. He already...

_Is this the time for restating what I have already said?_ Anson chuckled. He paused for a second, a nanosecond in real-time. _Claire. Now, you shall help me._

Anson immersed his Reiryoku into the world around him. Air was not only composed of oxygen gas, but also nitrogen, some carbon dioxide, some of the noble gases; a natural mixture of everything. He released for a few more seconds, almost a quarter-second in real time, to gather enough "air".

"Shatter," Anson called.

His Reiatsu burst, sending explosions of air around him, Hichigo and his fighting party. In his mind's eye, Anson saw carbon atoms fly from every direction and erect a netting around Kai, Rosche, and everyone else. _A carbon weave formed by bonding carbon with other carbon atoms in a tetrahedral shape forms the hardest natural material known to man..._

"Diamonds!"

* * *

><p>He's charging at us again! How many times is this happening?! I instinctively withdrew Shionari from her healing stance and set up a barrier with Entrench. I waited for the strike to hit...<p>

"Kai..." Shionari's voice said. "Heal."

I looked up to see that a whole ten meter spherical radius of a shiny material surrounded me, along with the other Shinigami and Ichigo's friends. Ishida, walked up to the wall and touched it. "It's diamond," he stated.

"You can tell just by touching?"

"It's clearer than quartz and smooth all the way through like those found in jewelers." He looked up, probably at the sparks from the clash of blades in the air. "Luckily, I can feel the air holes..." Then something stopped his words.

"Is something wrong?" Ichigo asked.

Ishida looked back. His eyes rested upon Head Captain Yamamoto. "Sotaichō... Earth Zanpakutō, Water Zanpakutō... even Hitsugaya's Hyōrinmaru; I need you to explain something. Do all Zanpakutō form their attacks in the form of Reishi?"

Yamamoto paused. I felt the air grow tense. "What makes you say that? Of course... Zanpakutō are restricted to the generation of solids by Reishi. The snowfall caused by Hyōrinmaru's abilities is caused by the effects of Hitsugaya-taichō's influence on the atmosphere."

Ishida scowled for a second. "Explain this!" He knocked on the wall of diamond. "I am a Quincy! Heilig Pfiel allows me to absorb Reishi and morph it into weapons. Explain the fact that I can't even take one chip of diamond off this wall!"

* * *

><p>"You're afraid, Raynes," said Hichigo. "What, have you decided that results don't justify the means? I'm sure you could have sacrificed them to kill me. After all, it's a different timeline and all... we don't even belong here!"<p>

Anson didn't dwell on the words.

"Silence, huh?" Hichigo blocked a strike aimed at his right arm. "That is so like you."

"Unlike you, you are an entity of many consciences," Anson said. "The Hollows you've consumed along with the body you have possessed in order to carry your plans..."

The Hollow's eyes flashed anger. "Ichigo Kurosaki is dead!" He unleashed a wave of Reiatsu in the form of a Getsuga Tenshō. Anson merely dodged and it collided near the diamond cage. "I am the king now!"

Anson blocked the overpowering strike from Hollow Ichigo. He intended Sy to come from behind and attack Hichigo, yet the strike never came. _Dammit,_ Anson thought, _I must have left him in the diamond cage... and to spare enough Reiryoku to dismantle the cage will leave me with too little power to fight one on one..._

Anson's mind scrambled on how to subdue the Hollow enough so Anson could prepare the final blow. Diamond molecules hovered around Hollow and Shinigami as they clashed blades.

_If he merely exchanges blows, he will not use Reiryoku as much as I can hold up... he needs to be drained at once somehow... drain..._

"Kai Socrius!" Anson yelled.

* * *

><p>The sound of my name brought me to my senses. I saw, through the diamond cage, the images of Anson and Hollow Ichigo sparring with intense speed and power. Sparks rained down from the sky.<p>

_"Kai,"_ came Anson's voice. _"Listen to me. I have told Sy of my plans already. I need you to attack Hollow Ichigo with Shionari no Mugen Nagare."_ I was surprised at this request. He was well aware of my condition with trying to absorb Hollow Reiatsu. _"I have a process that will accommodate help with your problem._

_"Sy will help with the amount of Hollow Reiatsu you will be absorbing. He will channel it into himself. But you shall have to feel the brunt of your attack. Sy may be able to help with some pain killing._

_"I ask this because it will far too long for him to lose enough Reiryoku in order to finalize this battle. So please help me out._

_"No one else can drain Reiatsu as easily as you can and the casting of Kidō will take far too long to prepare. You're the only one who can help me."_

His voice ceased to be heard. I looked at Sy, who only dipped his head. I had apprehensions about the Hollow. He may kill me and somehow make it seem like an accident. Something about him made me wary of the Hollow.

But Anson trusts him with his life. He must have had to trust him that much in order to fight Hollow Ichigo two-on-one.

But what does that mean? I can trust him too? But Sy trusts Anson as much as Anson does him... and that's how the plan will work?

"All you have to do is make contact with the scythe blade, Sy informed me. "Hollow Reiatsu will then flow out of you at my command."

I frowned at myself as I touched the blade. I imagined Sy reversing the Reiatsu and channeling it into me. With absorption from Hollow Ichigo, I would easily succumb to the Hollow Reiatsu and either die or become a Hollow.

And Hollow Ichigo will win.

_Trust him,_ Shionari's voice said. _I do not sense any deception. The water vapor around him does not betray his motives._

Almost instinctively, my hand flew to the scythe. The metal was cool to the touch. _"Whenever I give the command..."_ Anson finally said.

* * *

><p>Anson ducked away from Hichigo's blades. The sword arms came closer and closer to cutting Anson with each passing second. Anson shunpo'ed upward to stall some time, but almost immediately he was again assaulted by dual blades.<p>

Anson mentally controlled some diamond molecules to form and strike Hichigo. _"Not yet, Kai... not yet..."_ The crystal missed, and the onslaught continued. Anson bared his teeth as he had to raise his sword to block. The second blade came in an uppercut fashion, and Anson had to disengage once more. It was hard to find an opening. Two blades do not leave ample opening for counterattack, especially two separate blades that are part of the person.

_Use my power as well._

_Jikan-Tekina Munashii?_

_You are only using the powers of Claire. In order for you to finally succeed, you need to use the powers of two of us._

Anson finally understood. Diamonds thrown at a shatter-point at a high velocity will effectively break an object. The only way was to slow time...

"Timeline, expand!"

Actions slowed. Anson saw the pinpoint movements of Hichigo in slow motion; the next blade was aimed at Anson's right shoulder and the second blade will hit his waist. Anson drew out the amount of passing time in order to study the blades.

A chip. One part of each of the blades were chipped. Anson focused his aim on two diamond shards at the blades. The trajectory must be perfect in order to intercept the blades and so Anson will come out unharmed.

The shards dove through the air. Great pain erupted from Anson's right shoulder. _No... I missed..._ Then immediately after, Anson heard the clear ring of shattered metal. Blade fragments fell to the ground, along with the cry of pain from Hichigo.

"Bankai! _Shionari no Mugen Nagare_!"

The waters surged through the air and washed over Anson and Hichigo, wrenching the latter away. A soothing feeling dominated Anson's shoulder as the flesh mended before his eyes. The torrent kept up for three more seconds... and in those seconds, Anson could feel the intense pain Kai experienced.

_Daggers cut my skin... needles stabbed through my hands... poison washed through my veins... A few seconds... until the pain leaves..._

_I'm sorry, Kai..._ Anson said to himself. _That you had to go through this pain. But thank you..._

The water evaporated, leaving Hollow Ichigo drenched and heaving. His breath was visible puffs, as if he were breathing cold air. Anson raised his hands.

Shards of diamond materialized around the two. "This is how you shall die. This, the judgment of the last survivor of your destruction of the Gotei." The next moment, diamond shards struck Hichigo down, impaling all parts of his body and sending his hurtling towards the ground. A cloud of dust clods marked his impact with the earth.

Anson glided down to the crater in which Hichigo lay. The Hollow was mercilessly pulling the diamond shards out of his body, followed by small spurts of blood as the gems were removed. Anson looked up into the sky for a second. "If I make any more diamond, vegetation is going to start dying." He looked back down at the Hollow. "Have you anything else to say before you are done?"

Hichigo looked up with a slight tilt of his head. "Damn you, Raynes... damn you!"

Anson raised his Zanpakutō. "Only curses?" Anson shook his head at the Hollow. "Then die... and live on as a rock for the rest of your life." Anson snapped his fingers, and the diamond spread throughout Hichigo's body, encasing the Hollow in a prison of the strongest gem. The screams generated, by the immense pain of being an incubator for gems, permeated the air until the last gaps were closed.

* * *

><p>I lay on the ground, enveloped in a gold light. My body slowly felt better. I slowly rose, and turned to the orange-haired girl. "Thanks, Inoue. I appreciate it." The girl slightly bowed as the light withdrew.<p>

The diamond cage finally started to dissipate. Slowly, it eroded away and become one with the atmosphere by converting back into carbon dioxide. Small unsupported chunks of diamond briefly fell toward the ground before sublimating away. "It... it's over?" I asked.

"It seems so," Ishida answered. "Not only has the primary objective been fulfilled, but we also were able to rid Ichigo of his Hollow." The bespectacled Quincy turned to the Substitute Shinigami. "How does it feel; not having a rampaging Hollow in your body once more?"

I decided not to interrupt. _Once more?_

"Not any more different than when I did have him," Ichigo replied. "But, at least his voice stopped calling out."

I started out to meet Anson, possibly to congratulate on stopping the fighting portion of the war. Sy and Rosche started out too, but we all stopped as we saw each other head out. The air then suddenly grew tense with a rising Reiatsu.

"Put your sword away, Ichigo." Anson had turned and ambled towards us. "He is not your enemy."

"But he..."

"...is a Hollow?" Anson interjected. "Nonetheless, he played a useful part in toppling an aggressor of time. He is my faithful partner. In my last timeline, I convinced him that he was the original Ruler over the Hollows, given his ability to create Hollows of fragmented souls." He turned to Sy. "Anyways, during our skirmish there, that was great thinking. Had I not sent a Hologram to fight you from the start, I would have died."

"The only convincing fight is a real fight," Sy replied.

I couldn't help smiling at them. It was Shinigami and Hollow, sharing compliments of each other. The smarter the Hollow, the more reasonable it is, I thought, referring to Anson's words about Hollows once upon a time.

"Enough with pleasantries," announced Yamamoto, his cane tapping against the rock ground. "Raynes Anson, Captain of the Fifth Division of the Gotei Thirteen, you are under arrest for imposing as the Captain of the First Division, use of time-altering technique out of my jurisdiction, and treason by siding with a Hollow. Have you anything to plead your innocence?" I was near appalled at this claim.

"First Captain," Sy started, "it was not..." Sy stopped when Anson placed a hand on Sy's shoulder.

"Your explanations," Anson said sternly, as if Yamamoto were a subordinate than the Head Captain. "If you wanted explanations, you could have asked instead of placing me under arrest." He closed his eyes. "Ishida. What do you know of Vandenreich?"

"Invisible Empire... I don't know anything of the like, other than they are Quincy. I've gotten somewhat more information on them during my fight with Ez; they abandoned traditional Quincy combat etiquette and use the most powerful abilities first... but Hollow Ichigo went and killed them all before they could perfect something about Bankai-stealing medallions."

I glanced at Anson. He looked slightly distraught after Ishida's explanation before speaking. "That was what started it all. Vandenreich was the beginning of the collapse of the era of Yamamoto."

* * *

><p><em>Yamamoto died in my timeline.<em>

_It all started when strangely dressed figures appeared in his office, calling themselves Vandenreich and declaring war on the Soul Society. A few days later, Soul Society was reduced to rubble with the appearance of several Vandenreich commanded by Yhwach, along with killing Yamamoto and demolishing his body with Reishi arrows. With his death, the Captains of the Gotei nominated Kyoraku Shunsui of the Seventh Division to be Head Captain._

_Under his jurisdiction, Soul Society prepared for war. Ichigo, whose Bankai was destroyed shortly after Yamamoto's death, returned to his roots. Isshin Kurosaki of my timeline told me to only reveal this after Hollow Ichigo's defeat; Ichigo Kurosaki's mother, Masaki Kurosaki, was a Quincy. Isshin Kurosaki was part of the Shiba Clan of the Noble Houses._

_He was revealed more of his heritage by Uryū Ishida's father, Ryūken Ishida. Ichigo learned that Masaki was originally planned to be married to Ryūken. But circumstances occurred, and Ichigo was born a Shinigami-Quincy crossbreed. Having been stripped of one form of his powers, Ichigo walked the path of the Quincies._

_In the final battle of Ichigo versus Yhwach, Ichigo ultimately came up victorious. That was the history I knew. I hadn't become a student of the Shinigami Academy until fifty years later._

_Kurosaki, after the battle, was forbidden to return to the World of the Living. The Gotei had deemed him too powerful to be able to roam... the immense power he wielded was too dense to be sustained in the World of the Living and could cause permanent damage. During my days in the Academy, Byakuya Kuchiki resigned his position of 28th Head of the Kuchiki Clan. He resigned thus, given he had lost Senbonzakura to the Vandenreich and felt disgraced for only being able to use his Zanpakutō with a foreign object._

_It was shortly after which all Shinigami attended the wedding of Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki. I was greatly indifferent to the ceremony, but it would later bring huge consequences._

_Returning to me, I was accepted into the Shinigami Academy fifty years after the defeat of Yhwach. I already had an unsealed Zanpakutō; Jikan no Uranaishi. I shall get to that later, but I managed to pass the Academy with new high scores and was admitted straight into a seated position in the Fifth Division. It was unheard of, and instructors explained the vast capabilities of my Zanpakutō for my achievements._

_In a twenty-years time I had achieved Bankai. Another ten years went into perfecting it and another fifty years went into exploring what the limits of Jikan-Tekina Munashii were._

_Afterward, I soon embarked on reconnaissance missions and espionage missions on top of patrol to increase my chances of moving up in the ranks. By the end of a year, the Second Division was freed up significantly due to my actions. As a plus, the Soul Society was greatly secure to my actions. Some said that I be promoted to Zero Division, but I hadn't done anything grand. After this explanation, the lesser members of the Gotei wanted me to be promoted to Captain._

_It was against Central Forty-Six to demote a Captain so that a Shinigami of lower rank could become a Captain, even with a superior resume. It then came down to when Captain Hirako challenged me to a wager. He told me of Bankai sparring, which was used to test the strengths of both Bankai at the same time. The wager was if I was able to keep up the power of Jikan-Tekina Munashii for more than a month, non-stop, he will graciously give me the position of Fifth Captain._

_And so, I strained the extent of the Nexus. I slowed time down so that a month's time will result in an hour passed in real time. While in the Nexus, he tested my control over Bankai by requesting me that I replicate several landmarks from the World of the Living. In that month, the two of us walked through replicated landscapes, from the streets of Berlin to the mountain paths of the Himalayas. Sometimes, we sparred in fictional areas, such as the Varrock Square of Runescape or the Summoner's Rift of League of Legends.  
><em>

_When time passed, Captain Hirako gave up his position to me, and he told me that it was the first time in two hundred years since he had lost a bet._

_Anyways, as the Fifth Captain, I expanded my horizons. I searched up documents in the Daireishokairō about the history of Soul Society, the Gotei Thirteen, Zanpakutō, anything I could. With the knowledge of reading of the mechanisms of Kidō, and the private sandbox that was the Nexus, I was able to create Kidō of massive power that did not require sacrifice, some of those which were over the level of one-hundred. I also created many more Kaizō Kidō under the tutelage of Kisuke Urahara._

_It soon came to the point I had finished researching Kidō. When I delved into Zanpakutō Shikai and Bankai, I was confused at the lack of information. There was only information on Asauchi and Shikai that had manifested to Shinigami. Other than that, access was denied... even to the Captain of the Fifth Division. I had never seen anything of such a barrier since the start of research in the Daireishokairō._

_And so I strove for the highest seat. The Captain of the First Division is sure to have no restriction in the Archives, and I didn't want to have to go through proceedings in being one of the Central Forty-Six. I challenged Head-Captain Kyoraku using the third option; to defeat the Captain and replace him._

_Kyoraku was... a whole different level. His Shikai was completely biased by his knowledge of children's games; colors, shadows, and height... but his Bankai release was an utter nightmare. I cannot disclose that information, given his strict wishes to keep it as secretive as possible. "Such top-secret information is best kept out of allies' knowing so that it shall not fall in enemies' knowing," he told me._

_However, we were evenly matched. The capabilities of my Bankai and his Bankai countered each other. It was as if it were complete stalemate through the rest of the battle. I did not succeed in defeating him, but he did me something I did not understand. Even now, I still don't.  
><em>

_He abdicated from the Head Captain position. And he didn't give a clear reason to me either._

_The following day was the "crowning" ceremony. I barely paid much attention, and only spoke when I needed to. I was mostly trying to figure out the meaning behind Captain Kyoraku's actions. But after the ceremony, I realized something else._

_Back in the Daireishokairō, I accessed the archive of Zanpakutō. Ōetsu Nimaiya explained his working of Zanpakutō and more of Shikai and Bankai. It was mostly a repeat of the original archive, but he then hinted a release of Zanpakutō that brings about a new level of Reiryoku and Reiatsu; a form that surpasses even Bankai. When Zero Division found out of my research, Ōetsu personally dropped his Tenchūren on the Senzaikyū to meet with me._

_"This research is not to be shared among the public. By all means, research what you will..." He then poked me in the chest. "If any word of this Zanpakutō form reaches my ears through public tongue, I will remove you from your position of Head Captain. The spy is always present, even during peacetime." And so I gathered what little traces I had left and finished research._

_Then so they came; just as it had happened in the beginning. Sy, our Hollow King, demanded the souls of the former Visoreds whom were a supposed imbalance of spirits. When they refused to give themselves up, the invasion began._

_It was utterly awful. Soul Society fell in a matter of hours. The amount of Hollows that Sy generated obliterated our defenses. In the process, Rukia Kuchiki was wounded and later died in Ichigo's arms. His unwillingness to keep living allowed his dormant Hollow to finally take over his body. In the process, Zangetsu was resurrected... and Hollow Ichigo destroyed Sy with a single Cero... and Soul Society with it._

_And so, I returned timelines to rewrite the timeline. I walked through past after past, honing my skills to a new level and testing new ideas I had come up for my Zanpakutō. The only thing that kept me forward was one outcome: killing Hollow Ichigo will now have time accept a new ending... hopefully one where Soul Society will not fall like it had done before._

* * *

><p>"And I have finished." Anson paused near the diamond casket which lay Hollow Ichigo's body.<p>

"The main motive for going through time," I said, "was to prevent the destruction from possible destruction?"

"That... is most of the reason," Anson said. "But.. we must rid ourselves of this Hollow first." Anson pointed at the diamond casket. "Any more questions?"

"What of this timeline's Vandenreich?" Ishida asked.

"It is the work of Hollow Ichigo. Hypothetically, he sent a few Messengers and destroyed Yhwach before he recovered enough to challenge even Tier Harribel." Anson paused. "Either that, or Yamamoto was able to kill Yhwach that one fateful day."

Yamamoto said nothing.

"And with that... we shall return home. First we shall head for the Senzaikyū, and then we may travel our separate paths." Anson waved open two portals. "Head Captain Yamamoto, I want you to declare the end of the war against the Hollows. Sy, you shall leave with Yamamoto to form a treaty."

Sy then approached me. "Kai. You do not trust me." I nodded yes. "Then I shall help you with your Hollow absorption predicament." Sy raised my arm and drew his scythe.

"Stop this," Yamamoto called.

"Do not disturb this 'ritual'," Anson ordered. "It is for Kai's benefit."

Sy drew the scythe blade so it touched my arm. The blade pierced my skin, and I grimaced at the pain. "The pain is momentary." Sy withdrew from me. "The only reason you cannot absorb Hollow Reiatsu is because your Reiatsu is completely that of a Shinigami. You may be able to handle Quincy Reiatsu fine, but that is due to the similarities of Shinigami and Quincy. I have implanted a benign Hollow within you to regulate Hollow Reiatsu, to absorb it. Think of it as a parting gift. I appreciate working with you, even for that short objective."

I felt no significant change in my body. "Thanks..." I said. The wound had already clotted.

"No Hollow will result from this implant. Only with my tampering will a Hollow, one strong enough to challenge you, result from the one I have implanted." I glanced at Yamamoto, whom turned away as if accepting the situation.

"Then," Anson stated, "let the rest of us follow me to finally lay this behemoth to rest."

* * *

><p>Anson, Rosche and I walked down to the depths of the Senzaikyū. A Kidō Corps member walked behind us, using Kidō to bring the diamond casket of Hollow Ichigo. "Floor Eight, Muken, is a Void. Remember, if you lose your way there, there is a chance you may never see the light of day again. You will wander and soon die there, given we do not find you again."<p>

I shuddered at the thought of my previous trek through the Void. I nearly lost my way, but was located and escorted out by Anson.

The Captain laid a hand on a metal door. "_Akete_." The door slid open and revealed the background of visible noise. Anson instructed the Kidō Corps officer away, whom saluted and relinquished the casket.

"Forever..." Anson said, "die here. If you somehow break out, you will succumb to the pressure of Everything That is nothing..." Anson dragged the casket into Muken. "And it shall be done."

I turned to the stairs until I heard a cracking sound. Anson paused, then turned to the casket. A crack was visible across its top. "Impossible..." Anson cursed.

"Completely possible!" came Hollow Ichigo's voice. A claw burst from the casket. A yellow eye flashed out from the same crack. "Raynes! You cannot stop me. I shall destroy this world... destroy all that you hold dear!

"Your powers... I have this one last chance... I shall bring you all to a time where you have not the power to stop me!"

The claw reached out and split into two appendages and which wrapped around Anson and I. They pulled us toward the casket, and Rosche lunged out to grab hold of my hands. Our fingers touched, but I was dragged away.

"Kai!" Rosche called as a light rushed over my eyes.

* * *

><p><em>"Give it up, Raynes! You cannot win! No, not this time!"<em>

_"You have forgotten one thing... With my Zanpakutō, I am the lord over time! You will not drag the two of us so far back!"_

_My hazy eyesight pictured Anson grasping his Bankai hilt. "Timeline! All shall cease and resume at this one moment!"_

_Lights flashed, and the rebelling yell of Hollow Ichigo faded away..._

* * *

><p>Cicada chirps sounded in my ears. I looked into the sun's light, and my arm moved to cover my eyes. A shadow appeared over me and lowered a hand.<p>

"Where...?" I asked, my throat parched.

"I know exactly where," Anson said.

"I can't feel my legs..." I said.

"I'll carry you. We can't stay out here." Anson lifted me off the ground and on his back, and I fell asleep to the pacing of his footsteps.

* * *

><p><strong>*End of Part Four, Warring Hollows Arc.*<strong>

***Continued in Part Five, Misplaced Timeline arc.***


	31. 30: Stories

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part V: Misplaced Timeline Arc**

**Chapter 30: Stories**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>I woke to the sound of a humming fan and the faint smell of chrysanthemum tea. My eyes slowly opened and I found myself staring at an electric lamp on the ceiling. The covers of a futon bed were draped over my body.<p>

"You're awake," said a familiar voice. I turned to see Anson at a coffee table of sorts not too far away. He was situated with a ceramic teacup and teapot; that must be where the aroma of tea came from. He also had removed his haori. Anson lifted the cup to his mouth and sipped leisurely. "You woke up faster than I thought."

"How long... was I out?"

"Three days."

I had been sleeping for three days? Think about all of the time I wasted. I pulled the covers off my person and attempted to get up, but my arm gave out from beneath me. I fell, but, with the clatter of ceramic on wood, Anson appeared by my side and help me sit up. "Don't push yourself. Timeline sickness happens to those who do not have Jikan no Uranaishi's Reiryoku in them. It's natural; Sy was out for a week before he started to move."

Sy. The original King of the Hollows. Anson's partner. Zero, from Code Geass. "Wait! What happened to Rosche? She wasn't dragged along with us...!"

"She stayed behind in that timeline. You don't need to worry; Hollow Ichigo only 'did damage' to the two of us." My body relaxed.

Anson raised a hand. After a second, I took the hand in mine and pulled myself up. I tottered a little and used a section of wall to steady myself. I panted a little after the ordeal; I was going to surely fall if I didn't have support.

"Shionari," Anson said. From beside him, the aqueous serpent manifested herself beside the Fifth Captain. No, now he is a Captain of the First Division.

_Kai... is awake._

"He needs support for the next hour or so. Otherwise, he's going to stumble and he may hurt himself." Shionari looked at Anson. "I'm sorry I can't watch him twenty-four-seven, but you surely can."

"Couldn't I use Shionari to heal myself?" I asked. The serpent drew over to my side.

"Timeline sickness can't be healed by conventional means and it must pass on its own," Anson explained. "If that were the case, I would have healed you by now." My Zanpakutō nudged my arm and I set it over her body. The water didn't soak my clothes, but there was still the general texture of water. An assuaging feeling washed over me. Shionari guided me to the coffee table and I sat down.

"An hour at the most. Then we shall set out for Seireitei." Anson walked over to a cupboard of sorts and produced another ceramic teacup. He poured the tea into the cup and slid the beverage in front of me. A small amount spilled over the rim of the cup.

I reached over and wrapped my fingers around the ceramic. The glazed clay was cool to the touch and no steam rose from its contents. I tried to pick it up, but my fingers only glided over the cup's texture. "Is the timeline sickness thing this bad?" I asked.

Anson solemnly nodded. "Weak grip is one of the first symptoms to heal. Working your fingers around will reduce the amount of time needed to heal."

I curled my fingers around, as if I were working a cramp out of my fingers. I couldn't help but smile as the movements reminded me of when I was still alive. I would be at my desk at home, drawing the concept art. Two hours into the work, I would take a break and perform this same exact exercise.

I took the cup and raised it to my mouth. The chrysanthemum tea tasted sweet to my dry mouth. I quickly drained the cup and set it back onto the table. "It'll be an hour until I can walk normally, right?"

Anson nodded. "But, we should be completely safe here."

"Speaking of which, where are we?"

Anson looked out of the window. "Judging by the terrain, we are somewhere between Rukongai Fifty and Sixty. However, I am not too familiar with the Rukongai, and given its vastness, it is hard to have pinpoint coordinates." I nodded.

Anson rose to his feet. "Forty-five minutes," he said. "Wake me in forty-five minutes." He waved me off and headed out for the door. "Knock on the door across the hall if you need anything... but I'm sure Shionari can help." With that, Anson disappeared into the hall and a door closed shut.

"Forty-five minutes," I repeated. "What then?"

_I wouldn't know,_ Shionari admitted. _I'm the one who enjoys watching the waves of an expanse of ocean._

"I may as well lie outside and see the clouds pass by," I said. I poured another cup of chrysanthemum tea before hoisting myself up with Shionari's support. She guided me to the hall as I took small sips of the tea.

_Ienai, ienai, sayonara nante,  
>Konna ni, daisuki na no ni...<em>

_I can't say, I can't say, something like goodbye,  
>Even though I'm in love with you...<em>

"_Zetsuen no Tempest_," I muttered. I made my way to the front door, set the now empty teacup on a drawer, and picked out my waraji sandals. My hands had regained most of their strength and didn't require Shionari's help to put them on.

I opened the door to be battered by a spring aroma. The sun shone through a partly cloudy sky, where some of the sun's light danced across a flowing river. Trees lined the waterbank, and a wall of shrubs indicated a beaten, dirt path. I turned back to look at the house.

"Shionari," I said, "do you remember this place?"

I could tell by her voice that she was disbelieved as well. _You passed this lodge on your way to Seireitei, when you first set out of Rukongai East Sixty-Eight._

"Not only passed it, but also took shelter in it," I said. "But now... it seems like an ordinary lodge for a quick getaway or for a recluse. It used to be abandoned..." I turned to the river. I walked over to the bank and looked into the water. "This region must be East Sixty-Three." I waved my hand through the river, and fish swam away, startled.

_It couldn't a coincidence, could it?_

"Anson said he knew where we were, but that could easily be seen by sparingly placed signs indicating the region between Rukongai districts." I got up and grasped a branch. I felt light-headed and totter a little.

_Kai!_ Shionari snaked over to my side.

"I should sit down..." I put my weight on my right arm, which was now supported by Shionari. I laid down and looked at the sky through the holes in between tree leaves. "But... why did we end up in Rukongai Sixty rather than Seireitei? I don't understand..."

_I doubt that is the question you're supposed to ask,_ Shionari stated, curling around me and thus raising my head above the ground. _Besides, why are we here, at this very place, anyways?_

I blinked as I tried to recall.

* * *

><p><em>The claw reached out and split into two appendages and which wrapped around Anson and I. They pulled us toward the casket, and Rosche lunged out to grab hold of my hands. Our fingers touched, but I was dragged away.<em>

_"Kai!" Rosche called as a light rushed over my eyes._

* * *

><p><em>Give it up, Raynes! You cannot win! No, not this time!"<em>

_"You have forgotten one thing... With my Zanpakutō, I am the lord over time! You will not drag the two of us so far back!"_

_My hazy eyesight pictured Anson grasping his Bankai hilt. "Timeline! All shall cease and resume at this one moment!"_

_Lights flashed, and the rebelling yell of Hollow Ichigo faded away..._

* * *

><p>"Hollow Ichigo... sent us back in time. Anson stopped the passage of time and we end up here..."<p>

_Anson only said _where_ we were, but not _when_._

"There's a possibility that even he doesn't know when," I proposed. I relaxed and my eyes suddenly became heavy. This position was comfortable to sleep in, and a gentle spring wind absolutely didn't help in keeping me awake; quite the opposite.

_Hopefully, answers will unfold when we return to Seireitei._

But I was already fast asleep.

* * *

><p><em>"Kaaai...<em>

_"Ohh, Kaaai..._

_"Wakey-wakey. Time ta get a move on!"_

God, Anson's annoying voice was hard to sleep to. My eyes opened and there he was, standing and looming over me. The sun was still in its afternoon phase, but it was evident that more than an hour had passed. "You and Shionari took a nap together?"

_I was awake the whole time,_ my Zanpakutō argued. _Had you not told me to stay materialized, I may have been in my inner world._

"I was playing..." Anson said. "How're you feeling, Kai?"

"Better," I said, bringing myself to my feet. I was slightly dizzy, but only because I had forgotten to do my body's wake-up stretching. "That wasn't timeline sickness..." I admitted. I stretched out my neck, which made a popping sound when I rolled it around quickly.

"We should get going now," Anson said. "We should reach Seireitei by evening if we stop standing around. Can Shionari give us a ride?"

_I refuse to forgive you._ Shionari faded away, a trail of Reishi marking that she had retreated back into my Zanpakutō.

I shrugged. "If she says no, I can't force her to do it."

Anson scratched his head. "Let's get going." He shunpo'ed onto a tree branch and beckoned me to follow. I quickly caught up to Anson, albeit with more steps than he would have needed to take to cover the same distance.

"So you're the First Captain of the Gotei in this timeline?" I asked.

"I'm sure I am," Anson said. "I have able to glean enough information by searching through Reiryoku ribbons. I couldn't find Yamamoto's." I could tell by his voice that he was greatly troubled. "But, I did explain myself when Hollow Ichigo was in the diamond casket."

I nodded and turned forward to concentrate on Shunpo. The trees were quickly passing below us, and the river was a rapidly morphing blue line than it was a path.

In a few minutes, we reached civilization. "Rukongai Twenty," Anson said.

"Wait... _Twenty_?!" I was surprised. "On my walk from Sixty-Eight to Seireitei, Twenty was just a few houses here and there! Not suburbia!"

"Fifty Years, plus the few years I was Captain-Commander, Rukongai life has boomed. Sure, we're still getting Shinigami recruits for Shinigami Academy, but it took some time to spread the outskirts of suburbia from Thirteen to Twenty. I doubt we'll even make it to Forty in a thousand years, given the scale of the Rukongai we need to cover."

Anson ended his Shunpo near the Seireitei gates. He froze and muttered something I did not hear. "Anson?" I asked.

He started toward the gates. A few members of the Onmitsukidō stood at the gates, which bowed to Anson as he approached. The gate then started to raise, and a lone figure dashed toward the two of us.

I felt Anson's Reiatsu. I felt his emotions, but I couldn't figure out what it meant. Confusion? Relief? Sorrow? Joy?

"Anson! Where have you gone this time?!"

Then he ran. Anson ran to the figure and caught him or her in a warming embrace. I was somewhat surprised, Anson having some attachment with another person. He said nothing of it.

I approached them. Anson seemed to be shuddering. I saw that the person he was holding was a girl or young woman, whichever was appropriate. Her hair was a dark-brown with a few purple highlights that reached down to her back. Other than that I couldn't see much of her face. "Anson, you're... crying?"

It was true. He was shuddering and it seemed to be that he was trying to maintain his composure. I heard his quiet sobs. I felt sorry for Anson, but I didn't know why.

Anson removed his head from the girl, his hands holding one of her's. Her eyes were a lightning blue and her face seemed soft yet not fragile. "Claire..." Her overall appearance seemed familiar, as was the name, but the title of its origin escaped me. "Claire, is it really you...?"

Claire smiled warmly, as if she suddenly understood. "Yeah... it's me. Don't worry... I won't leave you. I'll stay with you as long as you need me. Okay?" She lifted Anson's downcast face so they made eye contact. Anson's mouth curled into a soft smile as he wiped away his tears.

Claire let go of Anson and turned to me. "You look like Anson," she told me. "And for some reason, it seems our Reiatsu resonate..."

"Uhm," Anson said, "he's kind of the reason I went out. He's my brother; long lost. I finally sensed him in a camp of insurrectionists. They all fled when I appeared."

"That must have been the last group," Claire commented. "What's your name, Anson's brother?"

"K-kai," I stammered. "Kai Socrius." I became flustered for messing up. So much for a first impression.

"He had a hard time with greeting me as well. The insurrectionists got him good in the head."

"Well, you have the Shihakusho belonging to the Gotei," Claire remarked. "Do you remember which Division you belonged to?"

I glanced at Anson. He nodded at me and held up his palm. Five.

"Uhh, I think it was the Fifth Division. Under Captain Hirako."

"That's a while back..." she said. "Anyways, my name is Claire, Lieutenant of the First Division. You should already know out Captain-Commander, your brother." Anson straightened out his haori. "It's also kind of useless to return to the Fifth Division barracks, being listed MIA. How about you take a room in the First Division quarters?"

"What, really?" I asked. "You can do that?"

"If the commanding Lieutenant can't do that, then the Captain-Commander will." Claire turned and beckoned me into Seireitei. I walked after her and Anson slowed down to speak to me.

"Brother?" I asked.

"I noticed the similarity in Reiatsu," he whispered. "It was the only possible and appropriate role I could give you. And being my brother, you get benefits that some Shinigami don't such as access to the Daireishokairō." He gave me a thumbs up. He then looked forward, then ran up to Claire's side. After sharing a laugh, he threw his arm around her shoulder.

And speaking of similar Reiatsu, what relation do you have with Claire?

* * *

><p>Anson led me into the First Division barracks. From the outside, seemed like a conglomeration of large buildings that were connected to one another through stacked air bridges. The inside was strangely neat and angular, like a company building. We traveled up the stairs into the dormitory hall, where housed a corridor to a large chamber.<p>

Captains' Meeting Room.

I remembered this room when I was brought in for "creating" a Menos Grande. I winced at the memory, and only now had it resurfaced since I had a blackout memory.

No, those bad memories are to be forgotten. I noticed that Anson had gone ahead, and I ran down the hall. I passed the corridor to the Lieutenants' Meeting room, but I didn't make a pit stop this time.

"There are things I need to explain," Anson was saying to Claire. I barely turned and was peeking past the wall. "I'll have Kai settle down, then come talk in the Captains' office. You can wait for me, hm?"

"Jikan no Uranaishi could fill me in," Claire replied.

"He is currently resting after a time jump. I... I don't want him to stress himself, after all that has happened."

"Okay. But of course, Waishou Sanwaon will want to see him during the Zanpakutō Appreciation Week. Hopefully he'll have had enough rest by then... remember it starts three days from now." Claire took Anson's hand and placed her corresponding hand in it. "Besides... will you explain what happened in the previous Timeline?"

"Everything. But... coming back here and seeing him as my enemy will be strange." Anson's hand tightened on hers. "Now, he will be out to kill me, and it won't be a show to trick the enemy." Anson sighed. "But back then, at least I was able to save five of the Visored."

"Two lost... It must be great luck that you were able to keep the losses to a minimum."

"Had it not been for a "chatroom battle', I would have been able to save them all," Anson replied. "Now go. I'll see you in a little while." Claire nodded and they shared one more embrace before Claire ran deeper into the hallway.

"How much did you hear?" Anson asked as I approached.

"Sorry," I said, "I heard most of it... beginning with 'explaining something'."

Anson sighed. "It was small talk. We don't share much anyways, given the First Division is all work." He produced a key from his haori and unlocked the door that was before him. Room 01-017.

The door swung open and Anson waved me inside. The room was almost like a hotel suite, except that the bed was replaced by a futon bed and a television was missing. I passed the bathroom, which housed all sanitation quarters that all people generally needed. On the wall was a digital thermostat, and I stared at it for the longest time. "If you want," Anson said while opening a window, "go ahead and personalize the place. It's going to be your room from now on. I will have you as an honorary First Division member. That way, you will only obey my orders and that of Central Forty-Six."

"I have questions," I said, removing Shionari from my belt and setting the sword on the bed and sitting upon it. Anson produced a step-stool from the closet and took a seat, opposite me and against the wall. "Anyways, how far forward are we?"

Anson paused. "When you graduated from the Academy, it was the end of the Fullbring Uprising, AKA Kūgo's Uprising. It wasn't another few weeks until the declaration of the Thousand Year Blood War, our war with the Vandenreich. With me being part of the Shinigami system for about 120 years, we are that much ahead of your original timeline... from your timeline to mine. Apparently, due to Jikan-Tekina Munashii's time travel-"

"Time travel?" I asked.

Anson sighed. "Hollow Ichigo. He absorbed what traces of Reiryoku from what I had used to form the diamond cage. He used one of Jikan-Tekina Munashii's advanced techniques, which was time travel." He paused. "However, it takes an enormous amount of Reiryoku, and he must be in a state of Reiryoku deficiency right now.

"He intended to have sent us to just before my time jump back in time, which was a month's time away. If I had allowed that, he would have only lost a small amount of Reiryoku compared to half to almost all. Then, even I could not stop him. Sy was destroyed in his Cero That Shook the World... and the Spirit King would have finally had a threat ever since the installment of the Gotei Thirteen. Thus, we would not have had a cooperative enough Hollow to help with your absorption-"

"But Sy from the previous timeline fixed that problem!" I interposed.

"Ahh, that's right. But even so, it would be too much Reiryoku to absorb even for me to be on par with him," Anson said, bringing his hands to his mouth. "He had substantial Shinigami, Hollow, Fullbring, and Quincy powers, not to mention the durability he had trained for in his human days. Besides, he absorbed my Reiryoku; with that and completing the time jump, he would be several times more powerful than I would be. By cutting the jump, the one whom initiated the jump would have to use so much more Reiryoku. And yes, it happened once in my timeline, but never again."

I nodded. I looked out the window that overlooked Seireitei. Many Shinigami were in the streets, walking whatever which way seemed appropriate. It was more lively than my old timeline. My old timeline. "Will I ever go back to that timeline?" I finally asked.

"I... I'm not sure," Anson said. "I'm sorry, but I can only come up with a guess. We need to track down Hollow Ichigo and get rid of him. He absorbed my Reiryoku, and I seem to not be able to remember one technique. I don't know the details, but he could be sealing one technique on his person."

"_He can trick anyone. But it doesn't matter how he tricks you; it's more of a why he tricks you."_ Urahara's words echoed through my head.

"Is it really that?" I inquired.

"Again, a mere hypothesis." Anson shifted in his seat. "Anything else before I go?"

"Zanpakutō Appreciation Week. What is it?"

"A time when all Zanpakutō are to manifest themselves and enjoy the means of thanks we Shinigami prepare for them, as well as spend time with their masters as individuals... partners. Ever since the installation of this 'Golden Week', the number of Shinigami with inharmonious Zanpakutō has dropped down to the lower single digits per year, from one in two-hundred Shinigami per year.

"Also, during this time, no Zanpakutō is to participate in Hollow combat save for the order of the Ninth Division, our head Division of security. Plus, it is only during this week that the Ninth Division captain may overrule the decisions of the Head Captain with an adequate reason. Otherwise, consequences such as imprisonment within the Nest of Maggots and or exile are appropriate punishments." Anson stood. "Speaking of which, I need you to meet the new Gotei Thirteen. We have 'new Captains' for our Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth. We lost two during the Thousand Year Blood War..."

"Unohana and Kuchiki." I could barely swallow the fact that Byakuya had abdicated because of the disappearance of Senbonzakura.

Anson nodded solemnly. "Also the one I had left in order to rise to Head Captain. I'll leave you to your own devices now. Remember, the only restricted areas for you are the Central Forty-Six courts and their living quarters. Behave yourself now." With that, Anson exited my door with a soft _ka-clack_.

Now alone, I fell back on the futon bed and nearly hurting myself through the thin padding between the bed and the floor. I took a sharp breath and squirmed so my head reached the pillow. "Zanpakutō Appreciation, huh? Guess I have a lot of appreciation to do, given all you had done for me. Hmm, Shionari?"

My Zanpakutō didn't respond. Perhaps she had been moody since Anson found me sleeping on her back in Rukongai East Sixty-Three.

She'll get over it, I surmised.

* * *

><p>Anson walked through the corridor and up the stairs to his office. One of the double doors to the office was open halfway, possibly because of Claire. She was waiting in the office. Anson sighed as he thought about on what to say.<p>

He entered his office and closed the door. The office was as he had previously seen it; desk clean and bookcases dusted. He looked over the edge of the balcony and imagined that he saw the ruins of Seireitei from Hichigo's nuke of a Cero. Anson blinked and the image faded away.

"Is everything alright?" Claire's voice asked. Anson turned to see his Lieutenant walk toward him. Anson expected a "with you" at the end of her question, but she understood what he was going through. Anson knew Jikan no Uranaishi told her some details.

"Claire... I don't know what to say," Anson said.

Claire brought Anson to a couch-bench and sat him down. She set herself beside him and put her hand on his. "Just start wherever you feel is right. Jikan no Uranaishi told me only the bare bones, 'something devastating to his core'. Go on, I won't leave unless you force me out."

Anson felt the tears well up again. _No, I told myself I wouldn't cry during my explanations..._ He sniffed once and wiped away the forming tears. "Claire."

"Hmm?"

"You died." Anson finally said. He felt as though he were reliving the moment; he was clutching Claire in his arms as fellow Shinigami dissipated into soul matter around him. It was a matter of time until the Hollow matter-poisoning overtook her vital organs and destroyed her. It was futile; even with the extensive knowledge of Kidō he had, Anson wasn't able to save her.

Anson clapped a hand over his eyes. "And you're alive... and I was so happy to see you again... I thought... I thought I lost you forever..."

Gentle hands wrapped around Anson's neck as Claire pulled him to her shoulder. One hand brushed through his hair as he continued. "I... I couldn't go on. Jikan no Uranaishi told me then, he completed... the merging of Sanwaon with himself at the last second. He told me to either kill myself or seek vengeance... for the Gotei and for you...

"I went back in time then... setting out to find Hollow Ichigo and destroy him. He had installed himself as the King of Hollows... and I managed to bring the original Hollow King onto my side..." Anson breathed once before continuing. "But all that... I accepted the fact that you died..."

Claire interrupted Anson by pulling him off of her shoulder. "And you're crying tears of happiness that I'm back? Or are you crying tears of sorrow that we will have to relive that moment? I don't know the excruciating pain you felt, but I can imagine probably only a fraction of it." Claire hugged at his head again. "But what can we do? Without a logical way, we can't change the timeline. Will we execute Ichigo Kurosaki? The Kuchiki Family will certainly not allow that. Tell the King of the Hollows that you will surrender the Visored? The Gotei shall not allow that. And so how will you stop it?"

Anson lifted his face up. "Then I will deal with it when it happens." His eyes were reddened from his tears, but he was ever determined to stop Ichigo's Hollow. "As a plus, the real Hollow Ichigo is out there somewhere... He's the reason why we, me and Kai are back in this timeline."

Claire smiled. "Nothing will stop you from preventing my death? You're so selfish sometimes." She brushed Anson's hair away from over his eyes. His eyes turned away.

"Kai might know of Zettaikai," Anson said at Claire's inquiry. "He wants to be brought back to his timeline, but I have my reasons for keeping him here. His job isn't finished, and then I shall let him go back to his original timeline." Anson moved Claire's caring hands away from his person and stood up. "I need a few days of solitude. I must master the Zettaikai by the time the Hollow King arrives. Don't worry, I shall be on time for Zanpakutō Appreciation." Anson then laid on the sofa and brought out his Zanpakutō.

"I'll get you a blanket," Claire offered.

Anson nodded. "Introduce Kai to the newer Captains. Take him to see the others as well."

"I will." Anson then focused on his Zanpakutō. He uttered the magic word that would seal him away from society for two days.

"_Bankai_."

* * *

><p>Inuzuri was reduced to a shambled ghost town. Of course, everyone had deserted the outer Rukongai for the better accommodated inner regions of Rukongai Fifty and higher. Hichigo trailed a hand against the wooden walls of houses to sustain himself.<p>

"Damn that Raynes..." he cursed to himself. "If he finds me... I'm as well as dead." He looked into the sky. "I wonder, when the other me destroys Seireitei, perhaps Raynes will die then?" Hichigo chuckled to himself as his passed through the town.

A red circular mark rested above his Hollow Hole. He checked it once before hiding it with the cloak he draped over his body and made his way to Rukongai 80.


	32. 31: This Is Not Where I Belong

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part V: Misplaced Timeline Arc**

**Chapter 31: This Is Not Where I Belong**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>This time, there was no dream.<p>

It confused me. My mind had been very proactive in my previous timeline. I dreamed of symbolic things, things that uplifted my spirit. Perhaps it was because of the time jump.

_What confuses you so?_ I turned and the black background melded into that of Shionari's inner world. The water serpent stared back at me from upon her pedestal. _Could it be perhaps, instead of your dreams, you are here? It is not uncommon to wind up in your inner world rather than the realm of dreams. Watch the waves of your own conscience... and keep me company._

I smiled. I made my way to the pedestal and sat in Shionari's shadow. A light ocean breeze swept over the island. The waves tossed lazily before me under a slightly cloudy sky. I sat back and took in the chorus of the whispering waves.

So these are the waves Shionari sees when I sleep.

There was a deep serenity to it. I was not suffering from the attacks of Hollows, agitated by the day's schedule, humored by my friends' remarks... I was at a peace.

A deep rumbling sounded from behind me. I saw the serpentine form of Shionari curled up, her aqueous body rising and falling as if she were breathing or snoring. Her eyes were dim, as if she were a mechanism in a state of inactivity. I crawled to her side and rested my back against her body. The clouds against an ocean seascape was the last image I saw.

* * *

><p>I woke with a steady breath. I rose from the futon bed and stretched out my arms. "You're awake," said a voice.<p>

I turned to see that Claire was in one of the armchairs by the window, reading a book. "What's with the look?"

"W-why're you in my room?" I asked.

"Anson did tell me to show you around. He's busy with his work right now." Claire closed the book with a _clap_ and stowed it in a pouch at her side. "That includes the three new Captains and the new Seireitei, as far as you know it."

"What of Brandon and Rosche? They're my friends from the other timeline... what of them?"

"You will soon find them out." Claire beckoned me out of my room. I grasped Shionari's Zanpakutō form and tied it to my sash before making my way after her.

Two Shinigami approached us in the hall. They paused before dipping their heads to Claire. "Good afternoon," they said. Claire and I replied with the same gesture, and we continued on our way.

"How was Seireitei like 120 years ago?" Claire asked me.

"Greatly unadvanced," I said. "There were no thermostats or running water for showers. For lights we resorted to candles and oil lamps. Plus, Rukongai's urban sprawl was greatly diminished; it barely stretched into Rukongai Thirteen."

Claire laughed. "It was just recently that Anson struck a deal with Captain Kurotsuchi that if Kurotsuchi supplied electricity to Seireitei, Anson would increase the funds of the SRDI. Plus, those funds were used to further industrialize Seireitei, not to sate Kurotsuchi's own scientific advances. However, indoor heating and cooling was going to be the last installment using the 'Anson Plan'." Claire led me outside the First Division barracks and into the main streets. Shinigami were preparing stands that lined against the wall.

"Could you tell me more of Zanpakutō Appreciation?" I asked.

Claire turned to a Shinigami, a girl, setting up her stand. It's banner read _Dim Sum, Authentic Chinese_. I smirked at the stand, in whom my father was an expert at making Dim Sum foods. "Have you been cleared to use that grill?" Claire asked.

"The Fourth Division's Fourth and Fifth Seats are going to be manning this," the Shinigami said. "They told me to set it up..." I turned at their conversation and thought I recognized her from somewhere.

"Name?"

"Ka...Kanomi Hanako. Fourth Division, Eleventh Seat." Kanomi bowed once.

"I need you to tell your Division-mates that the owners must set up their own stand. Materials with out proof of checkout will be confiscated. Thank you." The girl pouted as she turned toward the direction of the Fourth Division barracks.

My hand shot out and rested on her shoulder. She faced me. "Uhm... do you need... something?" she asked.

"It's been some time," I started. "I'm Socrius Kai. Do you remember me from Shino Academy?"

"Err..:"

"First Year? The finals tournament? Second round?"

"I don't know..."

"You beat someone named Todoshi! Perhaps you remember that! And when you were checking the match-ups, I stepped on your foot and..."

"I didn't face a Todoshi in the finals. I dueled against Kawahara..." I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out. My hand dropped to my side and I lowered my head.

"I see..." I said. "I'm sorry for bothering you." I saw Kanomi bow slightly before leaving, her pace slowing when she was a fair distance away.

Apparently, Claire noticed my action. "You know her?"

"Yeah... It was during Shinigami Academy. I dueled her in the finals of the first year. And... I was sure she faced a Todoshi..."

"It's the timeline," Claire said. "A future in the timeline is not dependent on its past; how do we know there was ever a Vandenreich, fifty years ago? Because it was in textbooks and our history? What of Aizen's Uprising; where is the proof of that? No one knows where he wanders in Muken."

Once again, my breath caught in my throat. "I'm sorry, Kai, but it seems to be that this is a timeline where a Socrius Kai never set foot into Seireitei."

Thoughts of all the possible outcomes of not existing flashed through my mind. Perhaps Captain Kuchiki never saved me from the Skink Hollow. Or maybe all of the other Hollows got me first. Maybe Captain Kuchiki never buried me with Konsō. Maybe...

Maybe I turned in a Hollow... and had no memories of my Human life.

"It hurts," Claire said, "to figure out you don't belong to the timeline you are currently existing in. I am sure Anson had a hard time adjusting to the old Seireitei."

I felt like returning to my room. I didn't want to continue walking through Seireitei anymore. This place wasn't my home; here, only Anson knows me... and no one else.

"Brandon. Brandon Lee. What about him?"

"Brandon? The current heir to the Lee family? He's the Second Division's Third Seat." My mind flashed back, during the Konsō exercise from the Shino Academy days...

_"...We always fight amongst ourselves, unable to show who's better without beating each other up. My father is the Third Seat of the Second Division, and I take that spot next when I am a suitable Shinigami."_

_"Detention Unit, huh?" I asked._

_"Yeah, I get to deal with prisoners in the Nest of Maggots." Brandon scoffed at the idea._

So he became a Second Division member. "And Rosche!" I said. "She was a member of the Fifth Division! What..."

"She is... she became one of our newer Captains. She is the Captain of the Eighth Division." My eyes widened at the revelation. "Captain Kyoraku was placed as the Fifth Division under your brother's order... as was Captain Kyoraku's presence as a well-known fighter. And so your friend was given Captain Kyoraku's old position; she _is_ one capable of work and has singular Zankensoki skills." Claire sighed. "Yes, your friend was promoted, and you should be happy for her."

"Pencil lead," I said softly, remembering Rosche's comment of Brandon and Jorden's snickering of us getting along. "I wonder what she will say because of that..." Claire didn't answer, but rather walked to my side.

"Do you want to keep looking around?" she asked. I felt my head shake left and right. "Alright, you can make your way back to the First Division barracks yourself, right?" I nodded, and slowly walked toward the way from whence we had come. The excited cries of the other Shinigami faded to soft whispers. I sighed, and was suddenly knocked to the ground. I looked up and noticed a messy, brown-haired person whom wore square glasses. His face was dotted red, as if he had just been ridded from acne. On top of that, his chin was marked with stubble.

"Watch where you're going," he said. Another Shinigami grasped his shoulder.

"Tsubasa," the newcomer Shinigami said, "forget him. You didn't come out to mess with other Shinigami." He looked at me with an apologetic face. "Sorry about that. Tsubasa acts like that a lot..."

"I don't... mind," I said, rethinking my previous thought of saying "care" rather than "mind". I picked myself up, and we walked our separate paths. Even Tsubasa Daichi changed. I felt relieved for no longer being a target of bullying from him, but it just made me all the more lonely.

I entered the First Division barracks into my room and fell on the bed. My heart felt as if it were being pulled down by an anchor. I stared at the ceiling for a while before covering them with my eyes. I turned onto my side and felt overwhelmingly tired. The bed's covers were then pulled up to my chin and I felt like crying myself to sleep.

* * *

><p>It was dark outside.<p>

Anson, finally after two days, woke up from his extended Jinzen. He removed the covers off of him and looked up at the moon. It was in its waxing gibbous phase, almost the full moon; just in time for Zanpakutō Appreciation. Anson could see clearly with the moon's light and headed out the hall.

The hall was generally quiet as Anson turned a light dial to its dimmest setting. The hall lit up, giving it the feel of an underground tomb. Anson passed by the doors and a leak of reiatsu brushed past him. He turned at the contact.

01-017.

Kai's room. Anson entered; everyone should be asleep by then.

The room was a mess compared to the time when Kai first arrived. Blank sheets of drawing paper and broken pencils lay strewn across the room. Chip bags and cup noodle containers covered every other inch of the carpet

The junior Shinigami was curled up in a ball, his covers covering his body to his shoulders. Anson walked over to the sleeper and looked at his face, hoping to see that everything was alright.

_It's all your fault._

Anson turned to see the aqueous form of Shionari, the waters of her body accentuated by the moonlight. _You brought him into your timeline, a time he does not belong to._ Anson looked at Kai again, seeing that his face was streaked with the red marks that were his dried tears. _He stayed this depressed for the past two days... two days! What has he done to deserve an eternal apathy?!_ Shionari's tail lashed out, and water droplets slapped against the walls.

"Look," Anson said calmly, "it was Hollow Ichigo that..."

_Hollow Ichigo this, Hollow Ichigo that... when are you going to stop placing all of the blame on that one soul?! For destroying the Seireitei... for killing all of the Shinigami, save you... but for Kai to be eternally alone..._ Water droplets glistened in the moonlight, but they refused to collect into Shionari's body. The tears dripped onto the floor. _An endless rain pours on my island! For two days... and it has not ceased..._

Anson was speechless. Between Kai and Shionari, he expected Kai to be the one to blow up on him. "And so you expect me to do what?"

_We want nothing more... than to be sent to our original timeline._

"And yet I can't do it," Anson answered solemnly.

Shionari turned around, loosening tears that formed from her eyes. _Then leave. Seeing your face disgusts me._

Anson was then thrust out of the room by an unseen force. The door closed before him with a slam that threatened to wake the entire building. For a while, the temperature of the hall seemed higher that what it used to be. _Convection current control?_ Anson thought. He checked his haori, finding it damp. _It must be the temperature control over water vapor..._

Anson sighed. _I didn't count on his mental stability falling once again. Then again, if one were somehow forgotten by their friends, they'd be traumatized as well..._ Anson rubbed his temple as he made his way back to his office. _And his Zanpakutō is overwhelmingly overprotective of him... I didn't see that..._

Anson had reached the balcony that overlooked Seireitei. In the moonlight, he could see the completed preparations for Zanpakutō Appreciation. The festival is generally what its name depicted. Zanpakutō spirits and their Shinigami masters would spend a week with on another through social means. Many activities would be laid out in Seireitei for everyone to enjoy. It was another time where people from Rukongai One and Two would be able to enter Seireitei other than application into Shino Academy.

_Kai..._ Anson thought,_ Hopefully he will enjoy himself tomorrow... friends or no. He has his Zanpakutō for company._ Anson then bit his lip. Worry started to creep in. _Yet... I wonder about when he meets Rosche, Jorden and Brandon. They don't know anything about Kai, yet Kai knows a lot about them. It's not like they have the Reading Steiner from _Steins;Gate_ or anything..._

Anson, feeling somewhat light-headed, made for his bed. "This.. is so confusing..." he whispered. He closed his eyes in order for sleep to overtake him.

* * *

><p>The clamor outside made it difficult to sleep to. I thrust the covers over my head to try to dull the sounds, but my efforts were in vain. I just wanted everything to stop.<p>

Despite my reluctance, I crawled out of the futon. I walked to the window and looked outside at the street carnival. The completed stands were filled with people whom either participating in the activity provided or purchased the ware or food displayed. Black robed Shinigami and various other people and figures, most likely the Zanpakutō spirits, traipsed up and down the roads of Seireitei, leaving little room to move around.

"Shionari," I said suddenly. "I want to look around."

My Zanpakutō appeared beside me shoulder. _I thought you didn't want anything to do with this timeline,_ she said. _Have you changed your mind?_

"I just remembered. Crying isn't going to bring us back to the original timeline." I sighed as I turned and took my Shihakusho. I threaded my arms through the sleeves and retied my sash over the robe. "Besides... I feel like eating something." I dug around in the inside pockets of the kosode and brought out a handful of coins, kan. Some 5000 kan. About fifty bucks. It was enough. I had more left back in my original timeline's room.

"Come on," I said, heading for the door. "Let's go."

My Zanpakutō treaded behind me. I could feel her want to dematerialize. When we were both in the hall, I locked the door and headed out of the First Division barracks.

Oh, how I hate loud, crowded areas.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Just another setting in this timeline. Kai isn't very important (in the eyes of this timeline)!**


	33. 32: Fade Away

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part V: Misplaced Timeline Arc**

**Chapter 32: Fade Away**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>I walked through Seireitei with admiring eyes. The decorations were greatly eye-catching with the complements of colors and variety of shapes and sizes. The jubilant atmosphere only added to the festivities. Zanpakutō and their Shinigami masters both took part in attempting the many minigames that waited to be played. Others walked about with treats in hand and conversed about subjects ranging from the philosophical to the real. Most Zanpakutō were in a human form; few stayed as their true forms.<p>

Shionari and I passed a Zanpakutō spirit of a rock golem to the Central Forty-Six compound. The area wasn't as crowded as were the streets. It seemed to serve like a park or town square of sorts. I remembered that this place used to be off limits.

Anson may have caused this change, I thought. There was no way Captain Kyoraku would overrule a rule that was set up in his time.

Shionari and I headed to the Daireishokairō, expecting it to be a large library of sorts. Similar my expectation, it was a large room filled with encyclopedias and archives computers. Rather than a library, it was more of like a computer lab.

"This place is huge..." I said to myself.

Shionari didn't reply to my comment.

I flipped through a tome on a stand to its last article. It ended with the statement that it was still made when Captain Kyoraku was still Head Captain. Another tome ended with the event of Anson industrializing the Seireitei.

I headed for the archive computers. After logging in using Anson's name, the computer brought me to a landing page and gave me suggestions of what to read about. Instead of their options, I looked for the roster of active Shinigami of the Gotei Thirteen.

I browsed through the names of over six-thousand people. _Hibiscus Rosche, Lee Brandon, Nakuria Jorden, Tsubasa Daichi..._ They were here, yet I was non-existent, even in the archives; not even as a former Shinigami, dead or missing.

I tried to smile. "We don't belong here at all," I said.

_This isn't our timeline,_ Shionari stated. _If anyone were to look at this roster, they would think you never existed. For many people, seeing is believing._ I reached over to the back of her serpentine head and put a hand on her crown. _No one would know if we were missing, save Anson and Claire. No one would mourn if we died, save those two._ I felt resentment emanate from Shionari.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I make you worry too much about me. You were blaming Anson for that episode, weren't you?" She nodded her head and nudged my side. "Even if Seireitei falls, I won't go into that state of depression. It's a complete waste of time." I turned to the computer and exited out of the browsing session. After that, the two of us departed from the Central Forty-Six compound.

We strolled about Seireitei until we exited the festive boundaries. The city's outlook hadn't changed significantly, but I couldn't help but notice the seemingly modern aesthetics of the newly implemented electric lamps and street benches.

Before long, I stumbled across the Shino Academy. Bouts of nostalgia welled up within me as I entered the campus. Despite the buildings having unchanged, some decorations were added; the courtyard lost a lot of walking space, but it was more visually pleasing by being the courtyard of a mansion with a fountain, benches, and plant lots, rather than an open lot with dirt paths and small patches of grass.

I entered the building, noticing that the corridors were empty. I walked down the first year corridor and opened the sliding door into Class One. There were actually individual desks now, as if the place had changed into a Japanese high school of sorts. A chalkboard and a small, metal podium dominated the front of the room.

By instinct, I located the area which I originally sat; closest to the windows in the second-to-last seat. I touched the desk face, which was already worn from use. I rubbed off a few scribbles on the top of it. I felt the want to know the identity of the student who sat here, but I left the classroom before my restraint ran out.

I was in the courtyard again. I stared at the evening sun, which was now just above the silhouette of Sōkyoku Hill. "One more place," I said, hoping Shionari had not dematerialized yet. Her head came under my arm. "One more place before going around the stands?"

_I don't mind. I like following you._

I walked down the path I knew as a beginning student in order to get to Sōkyoku Hill. At the courtyard, walk into the main street and follow the main path toward north. At the base of the First Division barracks, walk around toward the Eastern Path to a wooden gate; now that gate was refurbished with cast-iron hinges. Walk all of the steps up to the Forest of White, through the Forest, and arrival at the barren mesa of Sōkyoku Hill.

Well, the place used to be barren. Now, I couldn't recognize the place. The place where executions had taken place 125 years ago was now turned into a large garden of sorts. Knee-high walls surrounded flower beds or trees. Benches were set up here and there. For the most part, Shionari and I were the only ones there.

That is, until we walked forward.

A lone man was sitting at a bench that overlooked the view of Western Seireitei. He was dressed in an elaborate kimono, white with a sakura design that curled up the back and over his right shoulder. His hair fell to his shoulders.

He looked up. I knew this person. The Reiatsu was recognizable.

"Captain Kuchiki," I said. Then I realized something.

Byakuya Kuchiki stirred as he turned. He retained his face of stone, but it seemed as though it was softer than when I last saw him. In addition, the years he had gained made him seemed relaxed, untense. "You call me Captain," he said stoically. "But I have retired the position twenty years ago. Do we know each other?"

He forgot about me as well; actually, he added to the truth that I never existed in this timeline. I walked to his side and noticed the badge he held. It bore a five-pronged cross, as like an asterisk, with the prongs being equal in width. This must be the Vandenreich badge that held his Bankai.

"Senbonzakura," I said. "Where is he?"

He turned the Vandenreich medallion over, which had the guard of Senbonzakura engraved on it; a rectangle with a cross in it, like a window. "More or less, gone. He used the last of his remaining Reiatsu in order to keep me anchored to this world." I sensed sorrow in his voice. "I never had the chance to thank him that one last time. Now, he exists as a subjugated Zanpakutō spirit, and so has not the mind to answer the words I speak to him."

I had nothing to say to that. Of the Captains of the Gotei, only Byakuya had lost his Zanpakutō; Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Soi Fon, and Sajin Komamura managed to escape this fate. All had the powers of their Bankai through the medallion.

"You knew me as a Captain," Byakuya said. "Your Reiatsu is unfamiliar to me, yet we seem to resonate."

I walked over to him, with Shionari staying by my side. "About 122 years ago, I arrived in Soul Society via Konsō. The one who initiated the ritual was you. A year-and-a-half after that, I graduated Shino and was accepted into your Division as a Seated Shinigami.

"However, it was all a different timeline; the Vandenreich was prematurely destroyed. I existed in that timeline, but not in this one. Head Captain Anson Raynes brought me here, from that timeline to this one."

Byakuya turned to face Seireitei. "The words seem farfetched, yet I am convicted of believing your words. Tell me, how was Head Captain Yamamoto; on the other side, I mean?"

"I last heard of him making negotiations for a new ruler of Hueco Mundo because of a recent uprising. Otherwise, he is a fine Head Captain."

Byakuya nodded and then looked down at the medallion. "I imagine my other self to be content with Senbonzakura at this very moment. If they were at a Zanpakutō Appreciation festival as this, he would not be on Sōkyoku Hill, secluded from the others." He dipped his head. "Or, it is that I wait for Ōetsu Nimaiya..."

"Zero Division's God of the Sword?" I felt Shionari cringe at the title. I patted her head a few times, probably to calm her.

"But, those who lost their Zanpakutō still possessed the fragments of the Zanpakutō. I have nothing; not even a slight Reiryoku of Senbonzakura." Byakuya clutched his medallion. "The others; Hitsugaya, Soi Fon, and Komamura; have had their Bankai infused into their Zanpakutō thanks to the First Division Lieutenant. However, it was the Head Captain Raynes that created Bakudo 109, _Kachinari Retsu_, that allowed the infusion.

"However, these past years, I have been recuperating from shock. The last ten years, I have been training with the Asauchi to re-perfect my swordsmanship. The time has come for me to prove worth to Nimaiya in order for him to revive Senbonzakura." He tucked the medallion inside his kimono.

"He visits Seireitei on a daily basis or something?"

"He visits every Zanpakutō Appreciation. He arrives in the evening and returns to the Firmament later during the week. He had taken some who had lost their Zanpakutō to the Vandenreich to be tested. I know nothing of the test, but given the stories of those tested, it will truly be a difficult test."

"So he should be here soon," I said.

A fanfare started below us at Seireitei. "That... will be Ōtorobashi-taichō and the Shinigami Men's Association," Byakuya said.

We had a Shinigami Men's Association?

"Usually," Byakuya continued, "the group finishes their concert and Ōetsu would randomly appear. Perhaps it acts as his welcome jingle."

"Excessive amounts of bass makes me nauseous," I replied. "I don't go to concerts often because of it. Besides, I'd rather hear what changed. Anson told me of the three new Captains and some other stuff."

Byakuya closed his eyes for a while. "The Eighth Division Captain was the Third Seat of the Fifth Division; Hibiscus Rosche." I knew that much. "The Sixth Division Captain has been, and always be the Head of the Kuchiki Family." Byakuya paused as he took a shallow breath. "That position now belongs to Ichigo Kurosaki... I have no uses in being a Captain without a Zanpakutō. I had to give it up to my new brother-in-law, given his entitlement in marriage to Rukia. At least, he is a fine Captain, but he and Lieutenant Abarai have their quarrels.

"The Fourth Division Captain is Kotetsu Isane; technically, she's the Lieutenant, but there has not been a Shinigami capable of advanced healing Kidō. Unohana was one of our best healers, and he gave her life to teach Zaraki the Art of Killing. The position... has been left open.

"The Fifth Division Captain is Kyoraku-taichō, former head of the Gotei."

"I know from First Lieutenant Claire. What was the motive behind it?" I was interested further than Anson's jurisdiction.

"He is still sufficient enough to act as a Captain. Raynes-sotaichō described Kyoraku-taichō's Bankai as one horrible monster. No person, those who witnessed it, may openly speak of it unless they wish to face dire consequences. Only Yamamoto knew, but now only Raynes-sotaichō knows."

I paused for a minute. "Is there anything else that has changed since 122 years ago?"

"Many died during the Vandenreich Invasion. Of the First Division, Yamamoto and Sasakibe have been replaced with yours truly. Third Seat Lee, of the Second Division, has been succeeded by his eldest son, Lee Brandon."

"So he really did become the 'Warden' of the Nest of Maggots," I said.

Byakuya nodded. "Third Division Lieutenant Kira Izuru had perished; his successor was Hinamori Momo. Unohana-taichō perished, she has not yet had a successor. You already know the roster of the Fifth Division... and Hibiscus Rosche is the new Eighth Division Captain, again, you already know. Lastly... the current Head of the Kuchiki Family, Ichigo Kurosaki, is the Sixth Division Captain.

"In addition, many Third-through-Eighth Seats died, but have been replaced. Other than Lee Brandon, you know none of the others reinstated." Byakuya stood up as he noticed that the Shinigami Mens Association have stopped playing. "Nimaiya has arrived."

I looked up into the sky. The air seemed to become heavier as large pillar of sorts descended from the heavens and crashed behind the concert stage. A dust cloud shrouded the vessel from sight.

"Let us go," Byakuya said. He leapt off Sōkyoku Hill toward the congregation of Shinigami and Zanpakutō.

"I... don't like how he has become all sad and stuff..." I started. "But I still feel lucky that you're with me." I turned to see Shionari's head turned to the side. "Is something wrong?" She looked at me and shook her head. She hovered to my side and I set an arm around her neck. "You haven't said anything for a while. Is something wrong?"

She pressed the side of her head against my side. _Frightening..._

"Frightening? What is?"

_I... I want to stay... with you._ Her head pressed harder against me. I felt my shihakusho dampen, though I knew it was not because of her aqueous form. I sighed as I sat back down on the bench and stroked her back.

"I won't leave you if I can help it," I said. "You're staying with me for as long as you want."

What made you such a crybaby?

She lowered her head onto my lap, while I stroked her head and neck area until her tears disappeared.

* * *

><p>It was some time before I convinced Shionari to join me to see the Nimaiya person. Of course, it would be my first time meeting someone from the Royal Guard. I wondered what kind it took to be part of the organization... but I knew it was practical for every Shinigami to strive to be part of the Royal Guard.<p>

Many of the Shinigami were standing before the now empty stage, awaiting the Royal Guardsman to appear. After a few seconds, sparks flew from the stage area as a silhouette appeared from backstage.

"Iba Tetsuzaemon!" called a voice. "How I do love da flashy greetin' ya give me ev'ry Zanpakutō Appreciation!" A dark-skinned man appeared on the stage, wearing the Shinigami shihakusho and a white puffer vest. Yellow-rimmed sunglasses covered his eyes, and a weirdly-shaped afro adorned his head, offset by a layer of blue hair that covered the parts of his head that the afro missed. He fancied a large smile as he walked before the crowd. "Ōetsu... Nimaiya!" he said, introducing himself.

The crowd of Shinigami cheered as Nimaiya walked off the stage into the crowd. I spotted students from Shino walk forward and take turns shaking his hand. His mouth was moving; he was probably answering questions that the students were asking him. He would make an occasional gesture to either further elaborate his explanations... or to boost his ego.

He departed from the students and started walking through the crowd. A hand grasped my shoulder and I turned to see Anson. "What's up?" he asked with a smile. I also noticed he was alone.

"Nimaiya arrived," I said.

"Yeah, I know the bastard even before I made this Zanpakutō Appreciation festival thingy. You already know from my explanation about the original timeline." His face grew slightly sullen, but it quickly left his face. "Anyway, enjoying yourself?"

I nodded. Shionari came up from beside me. _Where is Jikan no Uranaishi?_

"He doesn't have a form. He is here, but you can't really see him. He isn't much of a talker either." Anson looked up, and the crowd had just started to disperse. I looked to see where Anson was facing and saw Nimaiya walking towards us. Shionari ducked behind me so that I was between her and the Royal Guardsman.

"The new first-years become feistier ev'ry year I come visit," Nimaiya said to Anson. "How goes Head Captain, Raynes-sotaichō?"

"I'd say it's strenuous enough. I'm not in the mood for someone waging war either; Yamamoto sure had enough on his hands with Aizen and the Vandenreich." Anson gave a sheepish grin. "Still, I'm sure me creating an appreciation festival for Zanpakutō has given you something to do other than rot away in your city."

"Don't diss ma Asauchi," Nimaiya said. "Just because chu don't got one doesn't mean chu can say wha' chu want about 'em." Nimaiya then glanced at me through his shades. "Speakin' a which, I see chu got anotha Asauchi-less Shinigami... experimentin' with your Zanpakutō research now?" Experiment?

"Very funny, Nimaiya," Anson said, his voice stern. "Get your paws off my brother."

"Dis makes things more interestin'!" Nimaiya howled, his hands flying to his chest. "Rememba what I said 'bout Asauchi-less Shinigami? Yer da only exception. I can do away with any otha Shinigami's non-Asauchi Zanpakutō..." Nimaiya glanced at me and raised a hand.

Anson cut in and grabbed at the Guardsman's hand. "You're starting to act like Kurotsuchi while he was in _his_ Zanpakutō research. Only you're worse. And what a mistake it was to overlook you."

I felt Shionari want to back away from Nimaiya. I could feel her anxiety; here was the God of the Sword, and she... we were being accused of being an experiment. I felt the resentment against this figure, and I willed to leave too.

"Shionari..." Nimaiya said, making me cringe. Him saying her name almost felt like a violation. He was considering Shionari as almost something disgusting. "Shionari's a Zanpakutō dat creat'd a vessel fer herself. She di'n't come frum 'n Asauchi."

"What rule is there that a Zanpakutō must originate from an Asauchi?" Anson argued. "Of the regulations I know of, there are none. It's better for you to leave Kai and Shionari alone."

Nimaiya defensively put up his hands. "Whoa man, I'm hea on command by Soul King!" I glanced at Anson, whom was now dumbstruck at whom he was against. "Yea, Soul King. Says dat Kai hea is 'n extra. He don't belong hea. I told King of your Zanpakutō research and It deduced chu was a makin' Shinigami from artificial Zanpakutō."

"Soul King... It sometimes takes understanding to the extreme..." Anson gritted his teeth. "And you're gonna take Kai..."

Nimaiya chewed on his lip and nodded. "No matta what it takes. I even have puh-misshen ta call the Spirits of the Zanpakutō outta every Shinigami here if I hafta... I will bring Kai to da Firmament."

Shionari pressed into my side and protectively set her serpentine body around me. "Death...?" I muttered.

My world was shattered in an instant.

My mind skidded to a halt, and I blacked out.


	34. 33: Roaring Tide

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part V: Misplaced Timeline Arc**

**Chapter 33: Roaring Tide**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>The festive atmosphere disappeared as Anson entered the Firmament and approached the Soul King Palace.<p>

He was flanked by two of Nimaiya's female Zanpakutō, both dressed in executioners' clothing. In front of him walked Kai in the white garments of the executed. His arms were bound, and he wore the restraining collar that suppressed his Reiryoku. Four of Nimaiya's Zanpakutō tended to guiding him into the Palace. Nimaiya led the party, and so Anson couldn't see him.

A rattle brought Anson to glance back. An Asauchi was carrying a long, black box that was sealed with golden clasps and padlock. Anson knew what the device was: one of Captain Kurotsuchi's scrapped patents, a Zanpakutō seal. Central Forty-Six had banned the product from Soul Society due to its original use in jailing Zanpakutō. Instead of having it destroyed, Nimaiya himself came to inspect the patent and buy it off Kurotsuchi for a hefty price.

Anson wrenched his eyes away from the box as a bloodcurdling cry exploded from it. Shionari was inside that box, vying for freedom. Anson felt Shionari's compelling desire to free Kai.

Anson hoped to do the same.

The doors to the palace opened. When Anson walked inside, he could only notice how spacious the room was. The ceiling must have been over thirty feet high. Apart from the exposed sekkiseki tile, the floor was decorated with a long, red and gold carpet that stretched from the door to the throne.

And there, seated upon the throne, was the Soul King.

"Ye majesty," Nimaiya's voice resounded from the front of the room. "I've brought ya da convict." Anson approached the Soul King and only greeted It with a slight bow.

The Soul King seemed to be offended by the shallow gesture. "Raynes-sotaichō," It said, its deep voice a commingling mixture of languages and yet predominately Japanese, "complications have arose for you...?"

"Of course, your Majesty," Anson replied in his familiar English. "Kai Socrius is innocent from your conviction. Nimaiya has informed me of an immediate execution; why?"

The Soul King reared into Its throne. "Socrius Kai is an extra. His place is not here, existing. He has violated natural law, and so must be destroyed."

"Nat'ral law?" Nimaiya asked. "Ye Majesty, you sed the reason for his ex'cution was 'cuz uv his Zanpakutō 'r somethin'."

"I only simplified my words so that you should understand," the Soul King answered simply. "And, Raynes-sotaichō, why do you wish to save this individual?"

"He is an important asset in destroying the one vassal that challenges you, your Majesty."

"If you speak of Aizen..."

"Aizen still has over eighteen-thousand years to spend in the void of Muken. No, there is another individual that seeks to overthrow you."

"And who shall this be...?"

Anson paused as he ingested the buildup of saliva in his mouth. "A time-jumper... the Hollow within Ichigo's soul..."

"And yet his Hollow has dissipated away since the loss of his Shinigami powers since the end of Aizen's Uprising..."

"Hollow Ichigo is a time-jumper. His life starts with this timeline, but he is a copy..."

"But how 'bout you go kill Ich'go 'r something?" Nimaiya interrupted. "Time paradox'll do him away for good."

"The time paradox will destroy the fabric of time itself," Anson said. "But the reason I deem Hollow Ichigo is not because of his time-jump. I must destroy Hollow Ichigo in order to return Kai Socrius to his timeline. I have not the sufficient skill, and Hollow Ichigo may have sealed away that ability."

Shionari raged from within her confines. The Zanpakutō had nearly dropped the box at the unexpected movement, but managed to catch the box before it slipped to the ground.

Anson continued, "I do not know whether this timeline has passed the One-Percent Divergence, but I have a strong feeling that this timeline has dodged a contingency with the Hollow King. But if that happens, Kai here will be that could prevent a violent encounter with the other ruler.

"As for dealing with Hollow Ichigo, we have to destroy him first in order to allow this timeline to continue smoothly. I require his skill, and Shionari's, to end that other extra's life... I am not confident in my own power, even if Claire fights by my side." This facade would surely turn his attention. _If it doesn't, I have one last card to play..._

"Then," the Soul King declared, "I shall send a Royal Guardsman to dispose of this infidel..."

"It is _my_ duty!" Anson cried, playing his "last card". "I was the one who witnessed the obliteration of Soul Society! My status as the Head-Captain of the Gotei Thirteen is to protect Soul Society, and so it should fall upon me to correct those wrongs!"

The Soul King raised Its head, as if straightening Its back. "Raynes-sotaichō. I do not know the experience you have witnessed. However, duty comes before pride; the duty of the Royal Guard comes before the duty of the Gotei, which comes before the pride of the Gotei. And the duty of the Royal Guard is to slay the Menos; this Hollow Ichigo is a Menos. The fact that you bring our duty into your hands is admirable... but unneeded.

"Kai... shall be destroyed by _Sōkyoku_."

The word seemed to bring surprise to Kai's face, from the face that was frozen by his fate. His eyes brightened up for a quick second, but then the gleam was gone. However, his face grew even more disbelieved. "There's a Sōkyoku?!" Anson asked for Kai.

"Nimaiya volunteered to reforge the Sōkyoku following Aizen's Uprising," the Soul King said. "As for the Zanpakutō, she shall be offered to the Asauchi. The verdict is given."

"De King's ordurs 'r' abs'lute," Nimaiya said, bowing before turning. With a snap of his fingers, his Zanpakutō turned toward the open doors and proceeded to walk forward.

_This... this can't be happening,_ Anson cursed. _If I fail now... no!_

The box that encased Shionari rattled again, this time startling the Zanpakutō enough to drop it. The box clattered to the ground with an audible _ka-clack_.

"Dun't allow dat box t' be dropp'd aga'n," Nimaiya scolded. The Zanpakutō immediately apologized and scooped up the box, tightly grasping it with both hands.

Anson watched as Kai and Shionari were brought out of the throne room. He slowly rose to his feet and walked after them. _There is still a plan. I have to time this correctly... or I shall have to rethink the plan again, by moving back in time. But soon, I shall be too exhausted to even act..._

_No, I must play this out as if there are no redoes. This must succeed, no matter the odds._

* * *

><p>Upon exiting the palace, Anson departed along the transport platform to the Hōōden, where Shionari would be offered to the Asauchi. In the instance that Kai couldn't be saved, he wouldn't be able to stomach the form of a Shinigami burned by the Kikōō phoenix. Nimaiya, however, departed with Kai to the Sōkyoku.<p>

Anson could see the Sōkyoku halberd from the palace. It was a huge weapon, and judging from the few members the prepared the execution stand, the lance stood at least thirty meters tall. When released, it would take on the form of a phoenix whose flames would incinerate any spiritual medium it came in contact with.

Or so everyone thinks.

Anson kept his eyes glued at Kai for the remainder of the transport ride, all while resisting Shionari's cries for freedom. _Now isn't the time... I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait._

The platform approached the rear peninsula of Nimaiya's city. Another person stood at the edge of the peninsula, whom Anson could tell was another one of Nimaiya's Zanpakutō.

"If my master were here, he would have taken you through the front," the Zanpakutō said. "I am known as Mera... and you seem strangely calm for someone witnessing his brother's execution."

"Don't remind me," Anson said. "That's most of the reason why I'm here... rather than there." He turned to the island with the Sōkyoku. "In my opinion, this is all wrong. 'The timeline is out of joint... Cursed spite, that I was born to set it straight...'"

Mera said nothing as she beckoned the guide Zanpakutō to the Hōōden. The box convulsed once more. Anson stared at the box, noticing that a crack had appeared on the padlock...

* * *

><p>My mind decided to think again.<p>

Sōkyoku. I could see the giant lance, the great halberd, from the platform on which I was being transported on. I could still remember the day I passed my hands through the Sōkyoku remains upon Sōkyoku Hill in Seireitei. To think I would be executed by that terrifying weapon...

My mind drifted to Shionari. She was blocked off from me. The familiar feeling of loneliness, complete and utter loneliness, crept back to me. I quietly sighed, and my shoulders went slack. My eyes drifted downward, under the transport. The clouds zoomed past from beneath me, as if trying to avoid the place where the Sōkyoku was.

It was true. I would be alone in death. None would mourn... save Anson and Claire.

I sighed.

"Yer Zanpakutō isn't going to die..." I heard Nimaiya say, as if he were trying to read my mind. "Bein' offer'd to the Asauchi means dat she'll become 'n Asauchi spirit. Death by Asauchi isn't 'n actual death... we're jus' recyclin' spirits so others c'n forge 'em."

"I refuse to have Shionari choose a mind that doesn't suit her," I heard myself say.

"D'en she shoulda chosen someone dat wasn't 'n extra..."

If I were unrestrained, I would have attempted to hit Nimaiya. It didn't matter if he was able to block or not, but I wanted to _show_ him that I was not a mistake.

Only... alone...

When the platform stopped at the Sōkyoku's enclosure, Nimaiya's Zanpakutō pulled me toward the Sōkyoku. The large lance was a weapon exaggerated in size; it seemed large enough to fit in a four-story building. Nimaiya approached me and held a hand over the spiritual shackles on my wrists, which evaporated into the air. I instantly tried to slug Nimaiya in the face, given his earlier insult.

He easily caught my fist right after I launched it forward.

"Pullin' uh fast one, huh?" Nimaiya asked. "I woulda hit back, but it jus' be uh waste ah effort..." He produced three wooden blocks from within his puffer jacket and set each one on both of my wrists and at my ankles. A fuzzy feeling enveloped my wrists as I couldn't feel them anymore. With a snap of his fingers, I was suddenly lifted into the air. I was being held up by nothingness... the feeling was quite ominous.

"Preparations for Sōkyoku..." I heard Nimaiya's voice as I ascended toward the sky. "_The power of a million condensed in one blade, wake from your slumber and burn the soul being offered... reform him into a new being!_"

Perfect, fluent English?

The Sōkyoku halberd suddenly raised off of the ground, slowly rotating until it pointed its tip at me. Its blade suddenly glowed red as a column of fire covered the blade, then continued to stretch around its shaft. The flame suddenly spread into the air, blinding me with a flash of light. Almost immediately did the air reach an intense temperature. I looked before me to find myself face to face with the Kikōō phoenix of the Sōkyoku.

"Cheep-cheep, birdie," I said.

The bird answered with another ear-piercing shriek. I could feel its killing, or more like cleansing, intent. I stared at the phoenix directly in its eyes, its red eyes... and thought about my life.

I felt tears come to my eyes. I wasn't as worried about my life as I should have been. I kept thinking of Shionari; what does she feel? Ever since I died, I could remember all the times I managed to avoid death, most of which I could credit Shionari in saving me. Plus all that time waiting for me to finally acknowledge her... then fighting alongside me and even winning my own battles to protect me...

Will all of that effort go to waste?

The phoenix of the Sōkyoku spread its wings...

But it suddenly imploded. Along with the disappearance of the phoenix, the energy that held me up by my wrists also left. The heat immediately disappeared, and the sounds of its crackling flames was replaced with fearful stammers from below.

I finally realized I was falling, so I brought Reishi under my feet to slow my descent. I briefly looked at the Zanpakutō before me before I looked back up. My eyes were still adjusting, but I could tell the figure was carrying a sword. A smile crept over my face.

I was saved... again.

* * *

><p>The Zanpakutō brought the box that carried Shionari into the Hōōden. Mera stood outside, monitoring the Zanpakutō. Anson took a seat in the ground and closed his eyes.<p>

The Zanpakutō around him carried the Reiatsu signature of Ōetsu Nimaiya. The box that was now inside the Hōōden was a copy of Kai... yet still had a unique Reiatsu of its own.

_I will free you Shionari. But you have to endure... until the time is right..._

The box released Shionari into the Hōōden. The Zanpakutō hustled out quickly before closing the doors behind them. Mera was now scolding at the Zanpakutō, having dropped the box during their retreat.

Anson directed his attention at the Hōōden. Now he only needed to bide time until the Sōkyoku was released into its Kikōō form. And when that time comes... history shall replay itself.

* * *

><p><em>It was cold in the dark...<em>

_I am alone. Truly alone._

_They rejected me, once again. I had found my place... and they take me away..._

Shionari raised her serpentine head around. She saw pitch darkness... save for a pair of red eyes.

No, not just one pair. There were many pairs.

Each of those pairs of eyes was connected to a faceless head; lacking a nose, mouth, hair, and anything that would define a human face. Their bodies were a dark gray, rippling with muscle.

So these were Asauchi.

One of them leapt up into the air. Shionari moved away from her original area and swatted the Asauchi out of the air with her tail. Two more Asauchi were knocked down by the hit Asauchi. Three Asauchi now leapt through the air, claws headed for Shionari's head and neck.

They grappled onto Shionari. The Zanpakutō could feel her mind become assimilated, with all of her memories becoming cloudy. She knew she was a water dragon, but she could barely grasp facts of her life before meeting Kai. But her capacity to think was still strong. The more Asauchi to latch onto her, the more memories she would lose. When she was completely covered, she would become one...

A soulless Asauchi...

Shionari whipped the Asauchi off of her, and she was again assaulted by another group of rabid Asauchi. Her tail flailed about, striking more Asauchi from grabbing onto her body. Shionari moved about, thrashing upon the ground to rid herself from the parasitic Asauchi.

_The Skink Hollow... I flung that tub and attacked the Hollow so Kai could escape..._ Forgotten.

Shionari roared as she attacked the Asauchi surrounding her. She was the larger and the stronger, but there were so many... for every one she struck down, it seemed that their numbers multiplied by an even larger factor.

_The Menos Grande appeared in Fremont, California... it first struck down Lieutenant Izuru Kira... and I channeled my power through a fire hydrant to wound the Menos and strengthen Kai so he could defeat it..._ Forgotten.

_The graduation tournament upon Sōkyoku Hill. Hitari Youmu wielded two Asauchi... and Kai stood with only Hakuda. I released my Shikai to protect him... and give Kai the victory..._ Forgotten.

The pain. The loss. It was all unbearable. She was superior to the Asauchi, but she was losing...

_Kai's first Jinzen with me._ Forgotten. _The duo Menos._ Forgotten. _Kai's brief amnesia... and remembrance._ Forgotten. _The Bankai training using Jinzen._ Forgotten. _The Hollows War._ Forgotten. _My treatment of his Timeline sickness._ Forgotten.

There was a large burst of Reiatsu. Shionari took almost no notice of the outburst, given her current circumstance... she was almost overtaken... _The song..._

_Ienai... Ienai... sayonara nante...  
>Konna ni... daisuki na no ni...<em>

_I can't say... I can't say... something like goodbye.  
>Even though... I'm in love with you...<em>

Shionari was left with one more memory. She fought to keep it... she was pained far enough from being in the box... from being torn apart by the Asauchi...

_Rukongai Sixty-Three East. Shionari and Kai were sitting beside a river, behind a few shrubs and trees... Kai had fallen asleep, resting on her serpentine body as if she were a pillow..._ Forgot-...

"_I will not allow it!_"

The Hōōden was illuminated, as if hidden floodlights finally received the energy to shine. The Asauchi were wrenched away from Shionari, relieving her of the pain they were inflicting. Shionari took this opportunity, being free, to sail toward Kai.

It was not forgotten. The final memory of their closeness.

_"Go,"_ Shionari heard Anson's voice. _"Go save Kai."_

Shionari silently thanked Anson, thus forgiving him of bringing Kai into this timeline...this cruel timeline...

She allowed tears to fall to the clouds below, and grasped her sealed Zanpakutō form in her claw.

* * *

><p>"The box doesn't work!" the subordinate Zanpakutō were saying. "We're sorry... we're sorry...!"<p>

Mera ignored the Zanpakutō and whipped her head around to face Anson. "Head Captain Anson Raynes..." she said, "why did you interrupt this execution? Do you realize you may be demoted because of this?!"

"I do not care about my role as Head Captain," Anson finally said, sheathing his sword. The Asauchi had all been vanquished, all transported into the Nexus. "What actions I perform are absolute... It matters not what actions I take, but the results that are reaped." Anson drew Jikan no Uranaishi once again. "And shall you stand in the way of what I am to achieve?"

Mera steeled her gaze. "Just know... the Soul King, even my master, has the strength to dispose of you."

"I would like to see Nimaiya try," Anson said. He spat on the ground and shunpo'ed in the direction of the Sōkyoku.

* * *

><p>"Shi... Shionari!" I cried. I felt her presence within my mind, and received her thoughts of relief of success and the joy of me being alive. My happiness was short-lived as her sword slipped from her grasp.<p>

Alarmed, I quickly shunpo'ed forward, watching as her form fell from the sky like a wounded bird. I held my arms out and slid on the ground, catching her inside my arms. She was in her human form, with her blue hair and delicate face. Her clothing was torn in several places, and the many wounds that covered her body seemed just shallow enough to prevent blood loss. In other places, her skin seemed burned.

"Shionari..." I said. I pushed her hair from out of her face. I finally noted her draconic appendages; claws for hands and feet. A currently limp tail also grew from the end of her lower back.

She only smiled at me. "I remember..." she said, her mouth struggling to form words. "I remember... the river..." and her eyes closed and her neck went slack.

A wave of depression washed over me. I realized that I was shaking her vigorously to wake her up. I was so intent in doing so that I couldn't notice the two swords crossed above my head.

"Kai," Anson said. "Move. Move before Shionari becomes hurt anymore."

"How... how can I heal her?"

Anson was silent, his gaze focused on Nimaiya. "Aside from using healing Kidō, you can't. Releasing Shikai while she is in this state may cause more damage than she has already sustained." I obliged his words and shunpo'ed away from the two captains.

Upon exiting the technique, I noticed Shionari's sealed Zanpakutō beside me.

* * *

><p>The two captains pushed against each other before jumping back.<p>

"Usurpa Anson Raynes," Nimaiya said, circling around Anson, "I dun undastand why you'd do sucha thing, but I c'n only say dat you don't agree wit' da Soul King."

"Damn straight..." Anson said. "I know what is going to happen if the One-Percent Divergence is not met. Same goes for Kai and Shionari. They know my plans, but if they do not participate, then all is lost..."

"Extra souls 'r' pr'hibit'd," Nimaiya said. "Thus sait' de King."

"If so...he shall not be my king," Anson said. He dashed forward with his sword at his side, tip pointed toward Nimaiya. Anson jabbed forward once he came in range with Nimaiya, baiting a block.

_Compress the timeline!_

And there he saw it; Anson saw Nimaiya's muscles tense as the Guardsman swung his Zanpakutō toward the quickly approaching blade. Anson finally feinted before the blades touched...

The blade was intercepted.

"What the?!" Anson pushed with all his might to stay in the lock and prevent Nimaiya's sword from touching himself.

"Soul King's on ma side, Head Captain," Nimaiya said. "It has de powah t' negate any psychological effects of Zanpakutō... includin' Hirako's Sakanade, Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu... and your Jikan no Uranaishi. You can only win dis with de blade... where I've masta'ed mine."

Nimaiya slid his blade out of the lock and spun around, smashing his Zanpakutō into Anson's. Anson's grip went weak for a second, and Anson had to dodge in order to keep hold of his sword.

Nimaiya came around once again, causing Anson to block. Anson managed to lock the blades and kicked his foot out to try to disrupt Nimaiya's balance. Instead, Nimaiya jumped over Anson's foot, twisted Jikan no Uranaishi out of Anson's hand, and roundhouse-kicked Anson in the jaw.

_He almost knocked my tooth loose,_ Anson thought, his hand rubbing the place he had been kicked. _It's bad for show... and I'll get a scolding from Claire if I ask her to fix it..._

"Ya lost ya sword," Nimaiya said, kicking the Zanpakutō further away. "You still wish ta go on?"

"You got lucky," Anson said. "Too bad I used most of my energy ridding your palace of Asauchi."

"All four-thousand of 'em?" He seemed surprised, then his face turned an ugly smile. "Dat makes me all the more glad ta kill ya!"

* * *

><p>Why... why is Anson losing?<p>

He was supposed to be the strongest. But... he's being overpowered by Nimaiya?

Of course, Nimaiya is a sword god... he knows all about the blade and how to use it. He knows every trick about the Zanpakutō... he will win every sword fight...

I then smiled myself. "He will only win against those who fight with a sword... or with a Zanpakutō he has created."

I lowered Shionari to the ground, placing one of her hand-claws on her chest. I brushed her hair once more as I raised the sealed Zanpakutō. I looked up and shunpo'ed toward the two captains. Anson had lost his Zanpakutō and Nimaiya prepared a downward strike...

_Kee-rang!_

The resulting impact jarred my arm. There was no way I would be able to keep up with Nimaiya's strength if my nerves were disrupted. I shunpo'ed around him and attempted a Byakurai. He sidestepped the bolt and it disappeared into the air. "Da hell do ya think yo doin?" Nimaiya taunted. "Anson hea's obviously the betta fighta, and ya think you'll win without ev'n ya Shikai?" I noticed Anson was now near Shionari, treating himself with healing Kidō.

"I don't intend on using my Shikai. She's gone through more than I have..." I slowly lifted my blade, but instead, a sudden figure knocked me away, and my Zanpakutō flew from my hands. I skidded toward Shionari, while the Zanpakutō landed somewhere quite close to my ear.

"I hoped that you two wouldn't cause trouble in the Firmament..." Claire said. She looked over her shoulder and gave Anson a venomous stare. "You would have been killed if I didn't show up."

"Sorry Claire..." Anson humbly apologized. "Kai here was just about to be executed... and I can't let my poor brother be burnt to ashes by the Sōkyoku."

Claire sighed. She drew her Zanpakutō and pointed it at Nimaiya. "Then get the hell out of here... I'll hold him off."

"I'll need thirty seconds," Anson said. "Kai, prepare Shionari for extraction. We're going straight down into Seireitei." I didn't know what Anson meant, but nonetheless, I sheathed the Zanpakutō and picked up Shionari. Her breathing had slightly calmed, and a majority of her wounds were gone.

Nimaiya twirled his Zanpakutō menacingly and ended in a weird stance, his feet were greatly spread out while his sword curved down above his head. "Head-Lieutenant Claire... will ya help apprehend de crim'nals? Or shall you turn against de Soul King?"

"I made a promise to Anson back in Rukongai," Claire said. "I would follow him wherever he went... even if it meant our deaths. He knows what the right thing to do is... and that is stop the extra Hollow Ichigo."

"The Soul King don't approve 'f any extra's existence!" Nimaiya shunpo'ed forward.

Claire sighed as she dropped her Zanpakutō. "Raze and rebuild creation... Waishou Sanwaon!" The Zanpakutō rippled into the ground, and Nimaiya suddenly fell to the ground.

"Hah?" he cried out. "The fuck'chu done?!"

"Waishou Sanwaon's ability allows me to control molecules at the molecular level. And so I slowed the kinetic energy of the atoms in your blood, namely water, to a very low temperature... AKA freezing. It won't kill a Shinigami... but it'll kill a human instantly. I can also kill you this very instant... but I don't want to get, any more, of the Soul King's bad side. That said... don't come back to Seireitei until next year." Claire turned around. "Anson!"

"All ground forces, fall back!" Anson replied with a childish tone. The ground opened up from beneath us and we were falling... falling through the air...

"Ya-hoo!" came Anson's voice. "It's been sometime since we've gone skydiving...!"

Shionari almost slipped out of my arms, so I repositioned my arms so that my left arm was a headrest and my right secured her waist. It didn't at all comfortable, but it held her in place.

"Anson... don't ever do that again," Claire said. Anson was about to pout again, but we finally reached the cloud barrier. We were buffeted by the clouds, but soon, the nighty view of Seireitei greeted my eyes.

"The Firmament is a complex portal system," Anson said. "If we reach the defensive portal on the outside, we will not reach the Firmament, except with the admittance of an Ōken. But approaching the barrier from the inside will send us into Seireitei's atmosphere."

"I thought the atmosphere would be colder..." I noted.

"I created a vacuum around us using dimension portals," Anson said. "In actuality, the atmosphere isn't just a frozen waste, it's a fluctuation of..." Anson took a breath, "...high temps to low temps to high to low to finally... a nice temperatures." The sentence was quickly said. I twitched my eye at the new information about the atmosphere.

We neared Seireitei by the second, noticing a red X on top of the Senzaikyū. After a while, Anson's voice piped up again: "Right... Now I remember that we weren't allowed to release our Shikai."

"I managed to convince Muguruma-taichō about an insurrection of Asauchi in the Firmament. He believed me right away... and it was technically half the truth." She smiled brightly at Anson. "So, no qualms about it!"

We touched down on the roof of the Senzaikyū with Reishi traction. I immediately set Shionari on the ground, and tried to wake her. She didn't open her eyes, and I immediately became depressed. I felt as though I failed...

"Her soul is resting," Anson said, trying to comfort me. "Besides, a Zanpakutō Spirit breaks down into Reikyū, become lights as in Shinigami's and clean Hollows' deaths. She'll be okay... Holy shit!" Claire and I turned at the sudden curse. I became startled as I saw Shionari's face covered in sweat and breathing heavily. It was all so sudden; she was fine just a minute ago. "I didn't read from the archives that Zanpakutō could get fevers!" Anson finally added.

"Can't you do something, Claire?" I suddenly asked. "Do that atom kinetic energy thing that you did to Nimaiya. Only to..."

"Forcing the change in temperature in a living thing is not an ethical, nor an intelligent thing to do. Unnaturally lowering her body temperature would ultimately destroy her temperature-regulations system... we don't have a lot of information about spiritual anatomy, but we can safely postulate that our anatomical functions greatly resemble that of humans."

"Sudden with the hard explanations..." Anson whistled.

"Rather than the CEO of a gaming company, I was a doctor from a hospital." Anson shirked away from the probable reminder. "I would bring her into a bed and treat her as someone with a fever, towel and cold water."

"So why don't you treat her?" I suddenly asked.

"She isn't _my_ Zanpakutō. Hurry along now. Zanpakutō Appreciation will still go on for another five days." Anson and Claire shunpo'ed away, and I picked Shionari up again. I sighed as I went over to the Senzaikyū's edge and dropped down. I kept up the maneuver until I came across the First Division Barracks, ran through the hallways, and finally my room.

Anson had probably unlocked it for me, since the door was slightly open, whereas I kept it locked all the time. I pushed the door open with my foot, almost losing my balance since Shionari was in my arms and added extra weight. I set Shionari on the futon bed and prepared a wet towel to place on her head. I pulled the covers over her, and finally sat down beside her.

Her breathing was somewhat stable now, but her face was quite red. I brought the back of my hand to her cheek, and her temperature was considerably warmer than mine. And so I kept a tub of cold water nearby, soaking the towel after I turned the towel twice.

When I had soaked the towel for the third time, I pushed the tub aside. I noticed I was still in the execution garb, and decided to switch into my original Shinigami shihakusho. I came back and turned the towel over before laying down beside the futon bed. I put my hands on top of each other and rested my head on top of them, facing Shionari.

"Get well soon..." I said. "I still hadn't said 'thanks' to you..." I felt my eyes grow heavy as I dozed off to sleep.


	35. 34: With You

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part V: Misplaced Timeline Arc**

**Chapter 34: With You**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p><em>I am alive?<em>

She woke up to stare at a vinyl roof, its inconsistent checker pattern a splash of white. Out of the window shone the morning sun, as if greeting her from the dead. She stared out the window for a while before turning away.

_The Sōkyoku had already raised into the air, its halberd blade ignited and spreading along the length of the weapon. Before long, Kikōō was formed and prepared to dive at her master. She increased her speed and intercepted the phoenix, forcing herself into its "mouth". Inside the charring four-million degree beast, she released all of her Reiatsu, water to counter fire. The flames were smoldered, and flames quickly spread to envelop the bare area. Too many flames converged on that one area, and the buildup of energy caused Kikōō to burst._

_"I had done it... I saved... Kai."_

_She would be burnt to a crisp if it weren't for her elemental alignment with water. Feeling empty of Reiryoku, she no longer had the strength to stand on that thin panel of Reishi under her feet. The plane dissolved, and she fell... fell..._

_...fell into the arms of her Master._

_He called her name, but she barely registered anything. She only remembered. "I remember... the river..." I felt light, and relived the scene again..._

I was in my serpent form now. I felt Kai's weight against my midsection, and his breathing suddenly became regulated. I glanced at him to find him happily dozing, as if we were still in our original timeline. I arched my head and pressed it against his side. His body temperature felt warm, as in it brightened my emotions. I felt something inside me, something I hadn't felt in over ten-thousand years... and I soon closed my eyes and napped alongside him.

_..._

Her eyes finally hovered over the childlike figure that had dozed beside her, one hand rested on her left. She turned that hand over and interlocked her fingers between his, and he stirred for a while before looking up.

"Shionari..." he said, his eyes still half-open.

Shionari let go of his hand and leaned forward, clutching her master in a tight embrace.

* * *

><p>I was still half-asleep, so my mind barely registered what was happening. Shionari was pressing herself against me as hard as she could, muttering words or phrases that I couldn't decipher. I remember my heart quickening in beat, but I took a breath before putting my right arm around her neck and my left behind her head. It seemed like the only thing I could do; I was sure she wouldn't let go even if I asked, and I had yet to gain enough strength to get up. And so I sat there, stroking her hair while I listened to her continual muttering.<p>

"I... was so scared..." she finally said. "I wouldn't know... what to do... should you have died..."

I finally had the mind to form words. I grasped her tightly. "You idiot. You almost got yourself killed trying to take on the Kikōō alone...

"But... I'm grateful nonetheless."

Her head dipped deeper, and my shihakusho started to dampen. Had we not gone through such an experience, I would have criticized her crying. We both faced our own near death experiences; mine with the execution by Kikōō and Shionari with the Asauchi and the Kikōō again. But the only things we could do was console each other... console each other that we won't separate from each other again.

"Hey," I finally said, "Zanpakutō Appreciation doesn't end for another five days... don't you wanna go check out some of the stuff to do?"

I knew what her answer would be. She'd rather stay in this room with her arms around me. It would be nice... but I'd rather go out than sit in one place, waiting to be able to move.

* * *

><p>Ten-thousand years was a long time.<p>

Back then, it was a rejection of hybrids.

That time did not have place for hybrids.

It was a great taboo.

But some species did fascinate with others and intercoursed. Those that were intimate had little success for a surviving offspring... though some did.

Shionari, with her dragon father, only knew a life of pursuit. The dragons had driven out her father when his clan knew of his seeing of a human woman. He was then sentenced to death with the knowledge of the birth of Shionari, two years after being taken care of her human mother. Shionari's dragon father fled with his daughter, as were the wishes of his forbidden wife. And so the father fled with his daughter as the dragons rampaged their home, thus sacrificing Shionari's mother. The exile dragon's brother had met that same fate, dying to protect his son.

For sixteen years, Shionari lived the life of an exile. Her draconic father told her of their ever-moving "home" on her fifth birthday. He was a reformer between the race of human and dragon... and so literally was dying to create an offspring. He had the hope of a human who would acknowledge her of her personality and not of her origin.

She obtained materials through her human form while she traveled in her draconic form. On the outside, she was a full-fledged dragon, save a few of her instincts. She couldn't detect other dragons within the vicinity and so relied on her father. Neither did she carry the hardened pride of dragons.

However, her human form was far more conspicuous. Her ears were pointed with a few spikes growing out from some parts of the skin. She had the scaly claws of a dragon for hands, although with opposable thumbs. She had the same scaly claws for feet, but she was three-toed. She was required to wear her mother's family heirloom cloak if she wished to go out. To dissuade attention, Shionari had to beat the cloak against the dusty road to depreciate its value and lower suspicion.

For sixteen years... Shionari traveled the land with her father, wearing the same clothes for long periods of time... with the ever-present feeling that someone is going to kill her and or her father. She wanted to settle... and be accepted. But there were no cities like that.

When Shionari had gone to retrieve provisions, two dragons had attacked her father. On the path that returned to the hiding cave she had carefully picked out for her father, Shionari found drops of steaming blood in the dirt. She removed a scaled hand and dipped a talon into the blood, and her talon had dulled when she pulled it out. As she neared the cave, the ground was littered with more streaming patches of blood and red, green, and blue scales; the blue scales of her father.

She forsook the supplies she carried and hurriedly followed the blood trail. She approached a bloody river to find the blue mass lying in the water, its head barely grounded upon the shore. Shionari rushed to her mortally wounded father, and heard the last words of that only one pursuer has been dealt with and his last wishes for his daughter. And so, despite his daughter's pleas for him to stay alive, he died of extensive blood loss. She noticed the remaining dragon, red against the blue sky. Shionari dove after the dragon, easily overpowering it by snapping its wing and tearing its neck open.

Revenge did not sate her grief over her father. Shionari no longer had someone to fight for. She retrieved the dusty bag of supplies and continued to go on her lonesome. For two months, she experienced the danger of not having her father's dragon sensing capabilities to skirt danger. She finally experienced true loneliness, almost to the point of insanity...

Rejection.

She was forever hunted by dragons, and the humans would not shelter her. She was an outcast without any belonging in the world.

Finally, a young man collapsed before her cave.

Shionari felt no obligation to help the human. It wasn't completely the humans' fault that she was in this situation, but they were the race in which her father became enamored with. Ultimately, it was the dragons' fault to hunt her father down.

Shionari helped bring the man back to health. It turns out he was a struggling renegade as well; orphaned and disliked by his race. At the end of the revelation, the pair was confronted by villagers out to kill the person; the reason is still unknown to Shionari's understanding.

But Shionari protected the man. She morphed into her true draconic form and drove the humans away, slaying one whom drew an arrow to kill either her or her patient. She felt remorse for having slain another individual, but relieved that she had someone to protect.

He consented to being with her.

When it came the time that the man finally passed, Shionari couldn't find purpose in that existence. She continued to wander, past the Unknown... into the End, and found a lone soul, his mind like the one she had taken care of ten-thousand years ago...

Kai Socrius.

She felt fulfilled again, having another person to protect...

* * *

><p>We finally walked down the streets of Seireitei. I didn't feel quite comfortable making public contact with Shionari, such as hand-holding, but I finally consented in allowing her to hold onto my arm.<p>

It turned out that she viewed the majority of the world out of my eyes, given her unending questions about various things. I swallowed my meager frustrations and explained as best, yet as brief, as possible.

I also discovered that Zanpakutō were just like Shinigami; the need to eat was only by appetite. Shionari had her first yakitori and Sno-Cone today. She enjoyed the yakitori, but having eaten the Sno-Cone too quickly caused her to brain-freeze.

I later liberated myself to allow her explore alone. It was already afternoon, and I had been half-walking, half-running after Shionari. I sat down at the benches around the Central Forty-Six compound, exhausted.

"Who knew Zanpakutō had so much energy..." I muttered to myself.

"You could surely say the same," someone said beside me.

I turned to see Anson. I was instantly startled, for I knew I was alone when I sat down. "Wh-where'd you come from?" I demanded.

"I was napping here," Anson replied, stretching out his limbs. "It's not etiquette for the Head Captain to be lounging around in public, y'know. But... it gets boring in that office."

"Doesn't it have an open wall for air...?" I asked.

"Nothing like the four winds cooling you off rather than one." He reached to the ground and brought up two Styrofoam cups; smoothies. "Anyways, where's Shionari?"

"I let her run off," I said, taking a smoothie and leaning back. "That girl seems like someone who has 5-Hour Energy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... I'm beat just by following her!" I noisily sipped the crushed fruit and ice mixture.

"She enjoy herself?"

"She got her first brain-freeze."

Anson sputtered on his drink, making me flinch from the contents spilling from his mouth. He made a few gagging sounds before laughing. "That..." cough, "...that silly girl."

"It was her first time," I said. After a few seconds, I expected an answer from Brandon... right, not the right timeline...

"First time!" cried a voice. I looked over to my right to see a young man's mostly curly hair. A taller man with a bandaged face stood behind him. "Head Captain, you heard him!"

"What the hell, Brandon," I said nonchalantly, "no one asked you." I was about to hit him across the face for making the sexual reference, but I managed to stop my hand. "Wait... Brandon?"

"Uhh... have we met?" Brandon asked.

"He's Kai Socrius," Anson answered for me. "He is your best friend, ever since Academy days. Well, in a different timeline, that is..." I glowered at Anson, but he waved me off.

"Ah, you and your timeline crap again," Brandon said. "Rosche did say something about you disappearing. She said she'd kick you into the future or something."

"Did that..." I accidentally interjected, sitting down. Upon realizing what I said, I sunk my shoulders and face-palmed. "God, I feel like an idiot..."

"Oh, the short one's here!" cried Anson's voice. There was the stomping of waraji sandals and the dull _thump_ of a fist hitting flesh. "Ha... now I don't have to flinch!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rosche asked. I looked up to see Rosche with her fists at her waist and glowering at Anson. She wore shortened variation of the Captains' haori, as to prevent it from dragging along the ground. A taller male stood beside her, a headband of varying colors keeping his hair spiked up. A decorative hair weave hung from the right side of his head, ending with a tuft of black feathers.

"Rosche and Kaminarino Hyōji..." I said.

"We've met?" asked the Zanpakutō. His voice was not an angry one, though someone could have passed that he was pissed off.

"How's your pencil-phobia?"

"Rosche finally discovered mechanical pencils," Hyōji replied triumphantly. "No longer shall I be known as 'Woodpecker'."

"Everyone will still refer to you as such," the bandaged man said. "Especially Jorden, given his tendency to mispronounce Japanese language."

"Shut up, Senkusha," the bird-man muttered. I finally realized the bandaged man was Brandon's Zanpakutō. Tired of the bickering of the Zanpakutō, I turned to my former friends.

"How's the Eighth Position Captain?" Anson was saying.

"It's okay," Rosche said. "Shit-ton of paperwork... but it's a great relief that my Lieutenant takes care of most of the paperwork. He has a horrible temper, but at least his brother keeps him in check." I waited for her answer. "Tsubasa Daichi. He's bright, but I got to know him and he's just very misunderstood."

"I remember..." I said. "In my timeline, he attacked me for being a quick graduate. You apprehended him then... or disciplined him or something. The two of us weren't on great terms with Tsubasa."

"Hey Anson," Brandon asked. "Really, tell me what's up with the new guy. I don't want any of that confusing timeline stuff either."

"That's the truth," Anson said, his voice as sarcastic as possible. "He can spout a few truths here and there, but I'm not sure if that info is up to date."

"I'd like to see him try," Rosche said.

I sighed. "Rosche, you used to use Hyōji's Zanpakutō form to sharpen wooden pencils."

"You could have gotten that from when Hyōji remarked that I graduated into mechanical pencils."

"Your Bankai is 'Raimei Tori', where Kaminarino Hyōji turns into a giant bird that periodically launches thunderbolts at enemies."

"Public knowledge."

"One of your early manuscripts' titles included 'A Frozen Requiem'."

"That's-" Rosche stopped. "I never published that one..."

I snapped my fingers. "I passed, hm?"

Rosche sighed. "Whatever." She waved me off, then walked away.

"She's kinda like that," Anson said. "She'd rather sleep in on non-workdays. Hyōji told me he forced her out of bed so he could enjoy himself." I then watched Rosche's Zanpakutō as he trailed after his master.

"Her attitude toned down significantly as opposed to my timeline," I remarked.

Anson chuckled as he slurped the rest of his smoothie. "Claire did criticize me for constantly bickering her about her shortness. She gets along with Captain Hitsugaya, since she is finally obviously taller than someone of her status. That also reminds me... she's taller than Soi Fon..."

Brandon smiled. "So you're saying that being five-foot-three isn't that bad? You could say that to my Zanpakutō! He..."

"Brandon..." Senkusha said, his voice starting to rise.

Brandon, however, continued. "...he goes from a small spider into this tall guy!" Senkusha immediately disappeared and Brandon fell to the ground, writhing. "Holy...! _Something_ went down my back! Get it out! _Get it out!_"

I laughed, but I knew I won't be able to completely relate to their antics. Nonetheless, Anson always included me in discussions, even morphing the conversations to a subject I could add into. If this kept up, I would be in the group again... and with Anson and Claire, the Soul King won't be able to rid me easily...

And I shall finally return to the timeline...

* * *

><p>Hichigo walked up the steps to the razed ice palace of the Vandenreich. Sand had eroded most of the ice away, and so the spikes were no longer sharp.<p>

Hichigo reached the top of the stairs, deftly stopping before an icicle crashed to the ground before his feet. He looked up and fired a Bala, in which ice bits rained down around him. "Still not recovered enough..." he muttered. He finally walked through the hole he had made during the Thousand Year Blood War some one-hundred-twenty years ago.

Hichigo walked into the main lobby. The walls were torn apart, and the ceiling had many holes in them. Hichigo could have leapt through the holes to the next floor, but he didn't feel the strength to do so.

The stairs were quite rickety, but they held under the weight of the Hollow. Each step resulted in the groan of the stairs about to collapse. Nonetheless, Hichigo made it to the next upper floor. He climbed two more of the rickety staircases.

The door before him was already rent to shreds. Hichigo walked into the room, which was a thin corridor lined with shattered shelves. Nonetheless, Hichigo walked through the rubble, turning over pieces of rubble and eating the small Hollows that scurried under him. They did not replenish his Reiryoku significantly, but anything that could replace his lost Reiryoku was significant.

After an hour of searching, Hichigo turned over a few shelves, finally resting his eyes on a small disc. He picked it up and turned it over, featuring a white, five-pronged star against a black circle background. It was the symbol of the Vandenreich.

"Found ya..." he said. He tucked the Bankai-stealing medallion into his garment and started his departure from the Vandenreich Castle.

* * *

><p>It was evening.<p>

I sighed as I strolled through the stalls at my lonesome. I was sipping a boba milk tea as I headed back for the First Division Barracks. I swallowed the drink and immediately yawned, tears forming in my eyes. I wiped then away before sipping the drink again.

Where was she...?

It had been at least three hours since I last saw her. I had allowed her to run off, but she should have come back. Hopefully, she didn't go anywhere dangerous.

"Kai!"

I immediately turned my head to my right, where the voice originated from. Shionari had started running toward me and caught me in an embrace. If it had been a different person, I might have done everything to have him or her release me, but I was greatly distressed nonetheless.

I did have a relationship problem with the other gender. But, I guess Zanpakutō, Shionari, can have some leniency...

"You were gone for quite some time," I told her. I tried to keep my voice even, given the people around me. God, I hate it when I'm nervous.

"Socrius Kai," said a voice. Apparently, I recognized it.

"Captain Hitsugaya?"

The kid captain nodded. "For some reason, the extra soul knows their manners." Behind him stood a taller individual, with sea-green, shoulder length hair, and an icy X crossing over his face.

"You knew about that Firmament stuff?"

Tōshirō nodded. "As do all of the Captains. However, I am not here to apprehend you."

I raised my eyebrow. Could it be Anson?

"If I were, you would have been incarcerated immediately, if not your Zanpakutō. But, five hours ago, the Head Captain, your brother, informed us of the 'differing views upon the world'. Raynes-sotaichō brought up his views of the future, and of the impending destruction because of that timeline he originated from.  
>However, the Soul King wished to uphold our values: he wished to preserve what shall happen in the case of extra souls.<p>

"However, Soul Society had forever changed with Kurosaki Ichigo. It changed once again with Raynes Anson. We kept our Shinigami-Hollow Captains, and so we have decided to keep you as well.

"One cannot be left alone. If one is completely alone, he or she will disregard everyone else for the sake of him or herself. When one does that, nothing shall be finished."

I took a moment to absorb the words.

"Master," the tall Zanpakutō said.

"I am almost done, Hyōrinmaru," Tōshirō replied. He glanced at Shionari, whom finally let go on me. She then approached Tōshirō, but looked at Hyōrinmaru.

"Socrius Kai... how much do you love your Zanpakutō?"

I stared at the kid captain. "Uhh..." How would I put it so I don't offset Shionari's feelings? "Well... I care for her very much, and am absolutely grateful that she saved my life many times, but I can't seem to imagine myself romantically attached to her..."

"Out of the question, the latter." Tōshirō straightened himself. "It is all part of the bond," he said. "Especially with opposing-gender Shinigami and Zanpakutō 'contracts'. I have learned that opposite-gender contracts have either a strong or fragile bond. One action will bring you closer or farther apart.

"But, allow me to rephrase my question; what do you believe about your well-being for her?"

I immediately remembered last night and this morning. Shionari had contracted a random Zanpakutō fever, and I had stayed by her all night long. "In that case, then I do love my Zanpakutō." I didn't mean it in the romantic sense, and so I glanced at Shionari. It appeared that she was okay with it, but her face seemed downcast. "Ah..."

"She may feel the same way," Tōshirō said. "I'm done..."

Shionari looked up at Hyōrinmaru as Tōshirō stepped back. "It has been some time," he said. "Tell me, how was your father?"

Shionari seemed to be taken aback, and even I was shocked. How did another Zanpakutō know of her past?!

Hyōrinmaru chuckled, waving his own icy draconic tail. "Of course I know, Shionari. Your father was the older brother of my father. This makes us related on the second degree..."

What?!

..."but I wish to know what has come of our family."

Shionari looked down at her feet, claws, and seemed to become more depressed. "He died in my hands," she finally said, also bringing tears to my eyes. "He was slain by the Purebloods."

Hyōrinmaru dipped his head. "I'm sorry to hear that. My father died protecting me. Of course, I am well over his death, and I found meaning in the young master."

"Enough with that, Hyōrinmaru," Tōshirō said, sporting an anger vein on his forehead.

"But... it seems you have found favor in your Master."

This Zanpakutō was curiously eloquent. I found myself scratching my lip, something I used to do when I was in deep thought or slightly embarrassed. Hyōrinmaru continued: "Shionari, I know I don't have to tell you, but keep protecting your Master. As of now, he has done much for you. Keep guarding him. And given his devotion, he may give up his life for you. But you must remember that only the Shinigami Master may save the Zanpakutō from rebirth. The Zanpakutō will only disappear if the Shinigami allows the Zanpakutō to be deserted."

"Socrius," Tōshirō said once again. "I have my doubts about facing this advanced Hollow Ichigo. Given the timeline you have transported from, the Kurosaki Ichigo of this timeline doesn't have a trace of Hollow Reiryoku: Raynes-sotaichō has already established that fact. But, it is likely that Hollow Ichigo will use certain tactics to overpower you, Raynes-sotaichō and Claire-fukutaichō.

"I advise you not to leave Seireitei to do battle until you study this important art." Tōshirō sighed. "It has happened to me once before, in training my own skill in my Zanpakutō and having it stolen... and Hyōrinmaru does not wish for it to happen to his younger cousin Zanpakutō."

I looked at the captain in awe before smiling and bowing moderately to him. "Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya, Hyōrinmaru. I shall take these precautions to better train myself." I then straightened myself, while Shionari retreated to my side.

"Raynes-sotaichō has decreed that only you, him, and Claire-fukutaichō will confront Hollow Ichigo. None of the captains shall interfere with your final battle. And so..."

He didn't need to tell me.

"You have to succeed."

I nodded my head. "Of course. I know I have to if I want to return. I don't want to be subject to this world's life and death cycle anyways." Tōshirō nodded his own head as he took a step back.

"Shionari," Hyōrinmaru said. "Protect your Master with your life."

"You forgot about the Sōkyoku thing, didn't you?" Shionari asked. Hyōrinmaru dipped his head to the side and retreated behind Tōshirō. The kid captain turned around and started to leave. His Zanpakutō started after him. "Hyōrinmaru... it was good to see you."

Hyōrinmaru paused to turn around and nodded his head. Before long, Tōshirō and his Zanpakutō melded into the crowd, and I couldn't see them anymore.

"He found a soul to reside within before I did," Shionari said. "I'm a little envious."

"You seem a little out-of-character right now," I said, putting a hand on her head. "Who do you think I should seek Zanjutsu lessons from?" Shionari cringed, but a hand then clapped on my shoulder.

Anson and Claire were there.

"Huh...?" I asked.

"There will be no better time for this," Anson said, his voice strangely serious. "I overheard your conversation with Captain Hitsugaya about the need to train your sword-fighting skills. I also agree; the SRDI had recorded results that a certain Hollow Reiatsu had entered the Vandenreich Castle's ruins, apparently leaving with a trace of Quincy Reiatsu. I even had Ichigo Kurosaki verify the Reiatsu Signatures. We all know what this means."

"Is it..."

"Yes. The Medallion." Shionari let out a sharp breath, and I lowered my hand from her head to her shoulder and pulled her slightly closer to me. "If Hollow Ichigo has the Medallion, we know what will happen."

"He will steal your Bankai..."

"No; he already carries a part of my Reiryoku in him from the Diamond Coffin. Thus, he can resist the effects of Jikan no Uranaishi and Jikan-Tekina Munashii to a certain degree. In saying that Claire and I have similar Reiryoku, Hollow Ichigo can probably counter Claire's Waishou Sanwaon as well.

"In short, the only way for him to defeat us is by sealing your most powerful skill."

I blinked as I chewed on the inside of my lower lip.

Anson sighed. After a slight pause, I noticed that the people around me stopped walking. The soft wind stopped. The color around me started to fade, save for Anson, Claire, and Shionari. "With Shionari no Mugen Nagare in our enemies' hands, we will lose. Hollow Ichigo will take our Reiryoku and use it against us; he can absorb Shinigami Reiryoku because of his host's body. He can even take the Reiryoku of innocent bystanders if I allowed it. And so, I finally tell you this up front."

Anson held his breath for a second. He closed his eyes for a long while, then looked at Shionari for a second before turning back to me. "Kai Socrius. I, Anson Raynes and Head of the Gotei Thirteen, am going to teach you the Absolute Form of the Zanpakutō; the _Zettaikai_."


	36. 35: Path of Absolution

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part V: Misplaced Timeline Arc**

**Chapter 35: Path of Absoluteness**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>"<em>Zettaikai...<em>" I said.

"The Absolute Release," Anson said, "is completely different from Shikai and Bankai. However, the power it carries is tremendous. One with Zettaikai will easily overpower a Vasto Lorde Menos Grande." Anson's fist clenched beside his waist. "I was naive in not killing Hollow Ichigo with Zettaikai... and so dragged you into this whole fiasco."

I noticed the people around us started to slow and discolor into grayscale. The surrounding landscape seemed to gradually morph into a life-sized diorama of sorts. Anson was stopping time to explain.

"It has taken me a year of research to finally know how to initiate Zettaikai. Then, it has taken me another year to find out its requisites... then finally a week to perfect my own." Anson closed his eyes, as if pondering on what to discuss next.

I finally spoke. "Why are you telling me this? Why are you telling me of such an advanced technique, where I have only been a Shinigami for only a few years? Wouldn't you be much more comfortable speaking to Rosche, Brandon, or even Jorden about this? This timeline, they've had more than a hundred years of experience!

"Your timeline," Claire replied. "He's doing this to return you to the timeline."

Anson nodded. "When we are done with the final act of destroying Hollow Ichigo, the Royal Guard are sure to whisk you away. They have already allowed you off this one time, in order to accompany me. We must act quickly if we want to beat them to Hollow Ichigo. If they track him down and subdue him before we do, our posts as the head of the Gotei; more importantly, even your existence; is at stake. That is why I am taking this ceasefire to train you."

"What about Jikan-Tekina Munashii's ability to slow time? Couldn't we have done what we had with Bankai training, what you're doing now?"

"I wish I could keep this up. However, only your Reiryoku will grow, and that isn't enough. Better real training than mock training; it was a miracle that your body could handle the Bankai training. Although it was just as effective as Urahara's _Tenshintai _invention, it is just as hazardous. With real time training, you will better know your skills, as you grow alongside your powers.

"Then... you have to be ready. If, for some reason, the Soul King has secured Hollow Ichigo for grand execution, It will no doubt execute you along with that bastard."

There was a deathly pause. I had nothing to speak of. I involuntarily chewed on the inside of my lip.

Anson straightened himself. "You do not have a lot of time to think. I am barely able to halt time for this long. I can sense the Soul King try to tear down this ability, which is showered upon by intense amounts of my barrier Kidō."

I opened my mouth to speak.

"Not you, Kai."

My mouth stayed agape. My eyes trailed down to the blue-haired girl whom was clutching me so tightly. Her face spelled fear and uncertainty, and her eyes were tearing up. I saw one tear drop as she spoke one word.

"Yes."

* * *

><p>Anson and Claire led Shionari and I into the First Captain's office. Anson walked over to a shelf and pulled a book out, a bright red encyclopedia, turned it onto its foreedge, and stuck it back in again. He did the same to a few other books; atlases, dictionaries, codices, and others, and the bookcase slid down into the ground and revealed a flight of stairs.<p>

"That was thirty books..." I said.

"And the bookcase rearranges the books," Claire said.

"Actually, the bookcase opens by itself after I stand in front of it for seven seconds," Anson said, already walking down the stairs. "The book handling is just for show."

We continued down the winding staircase into a small room. There was a corridor that led to a brightly lit area.

"It's a project I allowed Urahara to work on for the past week. It was one of his gifts to me becoming the Head Captain... and to sate his hobby for making them..." We entered the lit room and I found myself staring at natural-looking rock formations with even a waterfall and lake. A few trees sparingly took up the place. All in all, the area was mostly rock ground, like a mountain path of sorts. "Urahara's Underground Area, Delta. The place was given extra care in design, and the ceiling even looks like a moving sky!" Anson then pointed at the waterfall and lake. "That over there is all healing water, mixed up by Urahara. He says there's a hydroelectric-powered pump that takes the drained water to the top of the waterfall... that self-powering wonder."

"You're going to let us train here?" I asked.

"This place..." Anson began, "is layered with the barrier Kidō that can last for a year under the constant assault of the Royal Guard, as due Urahara's calculations. The innermost layer is mixed with a time-distortion effect, which slows time by a factor of twenty times. Five days will equal a hundred days here... likewise a second in here will be a twentieth-of-a-second in realtime. You shall unlock your Zettaikai here... and I shall check back on you in five realtime days..." Anson then walked away. Claire bowed and wished us luck before trailing after her captain.

* * *

><p>Shionari was staring at her draconic feet within the healing waters of the lake. I had removed my waraji sandals and sat beside her. I stared at my reflection in the water as I waited for her reply.<p>

"There..." she started, but her voice died down. "There's a reason why Zanpakutō, in general, do not wish to teach their masters the Zettaikai. There was a Zanpakutō by the name, Zangetsu; the one whom Ichigo had received, whom taught his master the Zettaikai. His final form, _Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō_, allowed Ichigo to wield power unimaginable... at the cost of losing his Shinigami powers and his Zanpakutō...

"Unlike the Bankai and the Shikai, where both Shinigami and Zanpakutō seemingly 'make a pact' and ascend in power, the Zettaikai is the sole responsibility of the Shinigami master, except that the Zanpakutō must have willed that his or her master to learn it. Afterward, the Shinigami may release it without the consent of the Zanpakutō.

"The reason this happens is because the Zanpakutō spirit commits a 'soul suicide' in transferring his or her power into the master. That is the assimilation of a Zanpakutō spirit and his or her master... resulting in the Shinigami to experience intense pain and loss of consciousness. During the soul suicide, the Zanpakutō's Reiatsu stabilizes the Shinigami's Reiatsu... into that of a normal human being." I saw her lips curve into a soft smile, but tears started to roll down around them. "It's... ironic. For someone that had ascended to the level of a god to be brought back down as a normal Plus. Even with extensive training, one's Reiatsu will never become that of a Shinigami's without Soul Infusion."

I looked back down at my reflection. "That is why... you didn't want to answer."

I could picture Shionari nodding her head. "To go lengths as to sacrifice myself to protect you... then having to voluntarily throw you away... it breaks me to have to realize the magnitude of this decision. I want... I want to bring you back to your original timeline... Yet the only way... is to follow what Anson says..."

"He... didn't have a technique sealed away..." I said. "He..."

"...is going to release Zettaikai himself," Shionari finished for me. "He will use his demigod powers to destroy Hollow Ichigo, and in turn send you back in time. Do away with the existence of Hollow Ichigo by manipulation of the timeline... and return you home by manipulation of the timeline... but he has to decide how to use it... when to use it...

"If I wielded such a divine power... I would use it here too."

She stayed silent for a while. I couldn't say anything myself; what could I say after all of that? 'We will always be together' would defeat the purpose of Zettaikai, and would result in the inability to return to the original timeline.

"Do you know what your Zettaikai is?" I asked.

Shionari shook her head. "I never thought of a time when it would have needed... so I kept quiet about it. Besides... I wouldn't... want to lose my master..." The tears returned, but Shionari stopped them with a deep breath. She then stood up and drew her sword. I was going to ask her what she was going to do until she swung the blade at my head. Startled and surprised, my combat instinct involuntarily caused my body to bend backward to dodge the blade, while rolling backward and setting a hand on Shionari's sealed Zanpakutō form.

"Huh...?" I suddenly asked.

"To teach you my Zettaikai..." Shionari's said solemnly, lowering herself on one knee, "No... I have no intentions on showing you the final technique that will separate us."

Shionari stabbed her sword into the ground, where ice walls exploded from the ground around us and toward the ceiling. From the place where she stabbed her sword, water started to gush out and rapidly fill the enclosure with water. Again I took a large gulp of air before the water submerged me, and I desperately tried to swim out.

"Kai... my waters will never drown you."

I could barely trust Shionari this time. I tentatively released my breath, finding that the waters didn't asphyxiate me. I was like whenever I was submerged in Shionari's waters and able to breathe. But... her intent on resisting me. She wouldn't allow me to breathe if she didn't want me to learn the technique.

"Is it that this is the only way to bring back to my timeline?" I asked. "Is it that instead of killing all of my hopes in learning Zettaikai, you follow Anson's plan in sending me back?"

Shionari looked away, her face pained. "After thinking all of this..." she said, closing her eyes. She was silent again, but suddenly lunged at me with her sword. A thin trail of blood diffused into the water surrounding us; my neck had been grazed. If I hadn't blocked, the sword would have gone through my heart. "After thinking all of this in my own time... staying with you... and dying with you... would probably be a good thing after all."

She leapt at me again, and my face was suddenly dampened by water droplets.

* * *

><p><em>Tomorrow.<em>

_Tomorrow is Kai's deadline._

Anson looked out across Seireitei, still rich with the activity of Shinigami and Zanpakutō Spirits. Anson turned his head down at the paper on his desk. He set an elbow on the desk and rested his head on his palm. Suddenly overcome with frustration, he screamed aloud and shoved the paper to the ground.

"Anson?!" Claire suddenly called. She almost immediately entered the office. "Everything is okay, right?"

"Of course everything isn't okay!" Anson said. "Waiting for Kai to finish... I can't concentrate on even the damn crossword!" He sighed as he grabbed a set of darts from his desk and threw the projectiles at a dartboard across the room. Of the three he threw, two hit the dot of the bullseye. "Shit! Can't even toss three..."

"Instead of worrying about Kai, how about you plan the tactic against Hollow Ichigo? I'm sure we'd get more done if we knew how to approach him."

"He has his hands on the Bankai-stealing Medallion. He will obviously use it to steal Shionari no Mugen Nagare, while using the power he absorbed from me to cancel our Zanpakutō abilities." Anson returned to the seat behind his desk. "Remember... I'm more of the guy who decides things when the situation arises."

Claire sighed as she stepped back to the couch-bench and seated herself upon it. "It is always much better to have a plan. Besides, it worked out great while you were in Kai's timeline."

"I absolutely hated it," Anson said. "And that time, there was no plan in how to win fights. This is just like those other fights; we are only fighting and not taking any more objectives. The only objective we have is to find Hollow Ichigo and kill him... and complete this objective before the Soul King does."

"Perhaps they have already gotten leads on where to locate him."

"Highly doubted," Anson said, "unless they have some sort of Reiatsu detector or surveillance throughout the Spirit World. However, we have a wiretap that oversees the Vandenreich Castle is a secure channel that only feeds to the SDRI's private surveillance wing. Kurotsuchi and Urahara prepared it under my jurisdiction... I felt like we needed our own privacy, if you know what I mean. It is only known by the three of us and the select few of Onmitsukidō and Kidō Corps members that work there." Anson sighed. "I guess this makes you the first Lieutenant to know."

"You sure do keep a lot of things hidden from me," Claire pouted.

"Sorry Claire..." Anson replied. "I try to tell you everything, but I believe some things are too stressful for you... You'd wonder why I would have this private camera thingy." Anson sighed. "Besides, he was last seen leaving the Vandenreich Castle... and making a move toward Las Noches. As for all I know, he'd probably be trying to look for anyone that could help him." Anson paused. "The Hollow King... as in Sy."

"But..." Claire started.

"Exactly. If he is brought in as one of Hollow Ichigo's allies, we're in for some deep shit. But, if Sy upholds the foundation of the Worlds, he would gracefully decline." Anson pushed himself from the seat and started to pace. "Unless something else happens to contradict the current World foundation without Hollow Ichigo revealing he is an anomaly himself..."

* * *

><p>Hichigo had successfully infiltrated the inner quarters of Las Noches, by passing the most heavily guarded perimeter. He wandered around, as to lower suspicion, and located the lab of Syazel Aporro Granz. He knew from the memories of the Ichigo he took over that Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the Captain of the Twelfth Division, had scavenged all he could analyze from all of the labs. There was a very small hope that anything could be found... and that small hope was all Ichigo needed.<p>

The room was quite refurbished, cleaned of all of the cracks and torn walls from the Shinigami Invasion about a hundred-and-twenty-five years ago. Hollow Ichigo looked around the area, where lights illuminated empty display cases. He looked over these cases and stared at some diagrams being projected on computer screens. Nearing disinterest, he made his way to leave.

"Who allowed you in?" Hichigo turned at this newcomer, whom was a Hollow with its mask shaped like a stag beetle. Hichigo smiled as he drew his scimitar of a Zanpakutō. "Hhnn? An Arrancar?!"

"Don't mix me up with those bitches," Hichigo said, lifting the scimitar to the Hollow's neck. "I want something that can pop Seireitei in an instant... or vaporize Shinigami."

"The Lord won't allow that...!"

Hichigo sighed. "You realize that there are no more Arrancar in the World right now, hm?" The Hollow nodded. "And what about the Visoreds? They have not been executed or returned to their former states."

"Anson Raynes of the Gotei Thirteen states that they can be reverted to their Shinigami forms within the next two months! He claims to be working his hardest... even now, he is compiling information over their Zanpakutō Appreciation!"

Hichigo stopped. _I forgot about Zanpakutō Appreciation..._ "Have you considered that Raynes won't revert the Visoreds? Maybe he is compiling more information on how to mix Hollows into Shinigami... and make them more powerful?" Hichigo smiled. _That will sure get his attention._

The Hollow stopped.

"Is this information valid?"

"Quite so..." Hichigo lowered Zangetsu. "Tell your Lord... the King... that 'he' sends his regards." Hichigo smiled as he passed the Hollow and laughed at this improvised, and successful, turn of events. _You can't win now Raynes. You don't know... and I have the King of Hollows on my side._

* * *

><p>Shionari's blade swirled through the waters that caged us. My blade, unlike her's, crawled through the water in unintended paths. The water pushed against me, thus causing me to be able to block blows at the very last second. There was something about her blade too...<p>

I could remember from my duel with Forte, that I also felt something from him. I sluggishly blocked another blow from Shionari and jumped back.

Shionari's blade seemed to always hit its mark. During a few times when I was on the offensive, it was a complete blur to my eyes. However, when I defending against her blows, it slowed to a speed that I could comprehend. The blows that I could not block were only grazes or scratches that weren't serious at all. With her expert swordsmanship... she could easily discourage me by cutting my muscles. Also, she could also influence the water to knock my blade off course and score an easy hit.

So why?

Why do I feel nothing but loneliness flowing from her sword?

I fought against the water to knock her blade off its intended path, and it grazed my shoulder. I followed up with my maneuver and took this opportunity to spin around and strike at her shoulder. Shionari then spun around and bashed the side of my head with her tail, causing my vision to flicker for a second.

"I already told you Kai... I no longer intend on teaching you the Zettaikai." Shionari bent her knees and raised her sword in her right hand to her head, its tip pointing at me. It was my custom starting stance... except her left hand was was set in front of her rather than on the hilt.

"And I need it to ensure Hollow Ichigo's disappearance." I said.

Shionari grimaced, her face contorting with melancholy. "So you'd throw me away to destroy someone who never interfered with your life; who only sent you across timelines? Is this just something to repay Anson in unlocking Bankai? Is this how you repay me for protecting you all of these years?!" Shionari charged at me again, her blade sword preparing for a thrust. "This..."

I blinked, tears threatening to form in my eyes. I raised my sword to try an block.

But I decided against it, and allowed the sword to slip out of my grasp.


	37. 36: Living in the Past

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part V: Misplaced Timeline Arc**

**Chapter 36: Living in the Past**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>I expected pain. I expected the metal of a sword to be run through my chest. A second had gone... but... what was this unfamiliar Reiatsu?<p>

Instead, I was pushed back and I felt arms fling around my neck.

"This... isn't how I want to leave you..." My eyes opened and I saw the blue hair of Shionari's head. Her entire body was trembling, and I noticed my hands lightly resting on her back. She had dropped her own Zanpakutō as well. "Why can't I stay with you?"

I lowered my eyes and gave into the urge to press my face against her head. "Either way... we don't belong here. Being subject to this world... is not what I want for both of us. But... I can't continue without your help."

"So... you realized that you have to accept my blade in order to learn the Zettaikai..."

I nodded. If I continued speaking, I knew I would give into tears as well.

Shionari peeled herself away and called her Zanpakutō to her hand. "I... I never taught you anything," she started. "I have always given you knowledge in how to use your abilities. So... let me teach you how to do one thing... at least." She readied her blade and prepared for the thrust through my chest.

"I'm not in the least masochistic," I said jokingly. "I just wonder why such a technique must be handled so violently.

Shionari closed her eyes as she ran the sword through my body. It was a peculiar sensation; there was no pain, but I felt the metal slide between my flesh. "The sword won't hurt you... after all, it is an embodiment of yourself." She released the sword, and I felt an incredible surge of power. "That blade... carries the secret of the technique to use Zettaikai." The sword dissipated into Reikyū. "And with the conclusion to the Zettaikai... we shall be separated forever..." Her face was dominated by the sadness of the contingent parting.

The ice walls burst apart, and the water evaporated into lights; Reikyū.

"Shionari..." I said softly.

"I was selfish. I never thought about subjugation to another timeline. Even being reborn as the spirit bound to an Asauchi, I would be prejudiced by my status as a assimilated spirit. I only cared about being with you...

"But even if I was preserved, you would be lost forever."

I took her hand, claw, and pulled her close. I placed my other arm on the back of her head. "Meeting you, I would never desire a different Zanpakutō. Your all-presence in water kept me alive. If I had a Zanpakutō that didn't have influence in the world, I wouldn't be standing here. The only way to bring us back is to learn this final technique... but I don't want you to disappear."

"During the soul suicide... the assimilation of Zanpakutō and Shinigami Reiatsu... the assimilation is a seal to your spiritual powers. I still exist within you... but without Soul Infusion, there is no way I could resurface as your Zanpakutō. In addition, I don't have enough Reiatsu to materialize before you; all of that is kept to stabilize what Reiatsu you require to live." Shionari dug deeper within me. "After thinking more... I don't want to be subject to this timeline either."

The ground shook violently, and due to the time-distorting effect inside this secret training room, it felt as if Shionari and I were standing on a large platform on a spring. The shaking lasted for several seconds, as opposed to a brief explosion. The shaking stopped, and we were hit with an aftershock or more quakes.

"Kai! Shionari!"

I turned to see Anson standing in the doorway. "Anson! What the hell is going on?!"

"Bad news..." He braced himself against the corridor wall as another quake shook the world. "Sy... the Ruler of the Hollows... has invaded Soul Society with an army of Hollows! Soul Society is falling... ugh!" Another grand quake brought Anson to his knees, and dust piled over him. I pulled him in with Hadō Two, _Hiku_, to bring him away from the falling debris. Our exit was choked up.

"Take us out somehow," I said urgently.

Anson smiled as he reached into his pocket and revealed a vial. He dropped a red, viscous liquid onto his palm and raised it toward the ceiling. "I guess... I can do away with that plethora of barriers that took Urahara and I so long to create..." Anson took a breath as he started to chant.

"_Thunderous army! Secretive insect! Carve a way through the impenetrable! Destroy all in the wake of your path, leave no survivors! Just angel, feared king, strict judge, culminate in the victory of those who follow you!"_

"Hadō Ninety-Eight, _Sōbano Eien Nagare_!"

The blood on Anson's palm glowed blue and turned into a pale orb. Water was pulled from the healing spring and the orb glowed briefly before firing a grand stream of colors. The blast was blue in color, while streaks of red, yellow, green, and purple energy twisted around the mass. It then tore through the ceiling, rocks turning into dust to the Kidō. There were the sounds of electric shocks as the barriers crumbled under the intense energy. Dust fell again, but I could see a hole of light at its top.

"That hole... I think it's the Central Forty-Six courtyard. Let's go."

"With Shunpo?" I asked. "It seems a far ways up..." I turned to Shionari beside me, and she nodded her head. I raised my Zanpakutō. "Bankai! Shionari no Mugen Nagare!" Shionari's spirit glowed beside me as she reverted into her true form. Her aqueous body exploded in size as rain into the chamber from outside the hole. Anson and I leapt onto her back. My feet slightly sunk into the body, securing them in place. I grasped Anson's wrist and shouted, "Let's go!"

Mugen Shionari roared as she soared into the air and into the hole. Rain veered to the side of us, parting so that it did not pelt our faces. We burst from the hole.

"Head Captain is back!"

"I told you he'd come! He was bringing help!"

Numerous Shinigami briefly greeted Anson to the battlefield before concentrating on the battle. I looked around the raining landscape; Hollows had dominated the area, though a great number; all except for the Menos; were dissipating to the rain caused by Mugen Shionari's release. The sight shocked me; most of the buildings of Seireitei had already fallen.

"This..." I said softly.

_I wanted to spend more time with you... _Shionari told me. _However... I shall set that time aside after this battle._

"Sorry, but I doubt that will happen," Anson apologized. "This is the doing of Hollow Ichigo. I'm guessing he managed to somehow convince the King of Hollows to take back the Visored..." Anson stood straight and unsheathed Jikan no Uranaishi. "Time to enter the fray. Let's head for Sy!" He pointed at a figure standing in the sky, whom stood beside another figure, though the latter was covered by a cloak. "Never thought Hollow Ichigo would come here himself!"

Mugen Shionari roared again. The Gillian Menos suddenly turned and charged their Cero on us. I sent out lesser vessels of Mugen Shionari to gather Hollow Reiatsu and form entrench barriers around us. _The catalyst Hollow...my-timeline-Sy intended the truth! And for some reason... I can cast Enkōsen with the use of water?_

_I have allowed more versatility with my ability, _Shionari said._ Water is now under your direct control... and shall manipulate itself to be your sword and shield... Perhaps I carelessly released my true Bankai to free myself, and you, during the trial at the Firmament..._

"For that... I thank you." I chuckled kindheartedly. Knowing this, I send tendrils of water toward the cloaked figure, but Sy batted the liquid aside with a dark Reiatsu. Anson had already leapt off and tried to attack the cloaked figure, though Sy now intercepted him.

"I did tell you of the new Shinigami-Hollow..." Hollow Ichigo said. "Now do you believe me?"

"What you said was true," Sy replied, pushing Anson back. "Even so, you shall not have my full cooperation..."

"Whatever... I'll give you that Hollow inside the boy, and what shall you do with it? Recreate Metastacia? Make a hybrid of your own?"

"Silence! A lowly Adjuchas such as you should know his place."

"Even a Vasto Lorde should fear one that is weaker than himself..." Hollow Ichigo's voice dissipated away into the wind, leaving the cloak to flap away.

"Where has he gone?!" Anson demanded. "That Hollow himself is a timejumper... same as the Shinigami whom bears a Hollow inside him!" Anson jabbed a finger toward me. "However, this Shinigami wishes to return to his timeline, while the Hollow wishes to create a utopia with him as its ruler. Your existence, from this Shinigami's timeline, gave him that Hollow to improve his Zanpakutō's power in absorbing Reiatsu!"

Sy said nothing. "What of the Visored? This Hollow told me of your research in extracting their Hollow forms... and the possibility that instead of reverting them, you will create more Shinigami-Hollow hybrids... such as this 'Shinigami timejumper'." Sy raised his scythe. "Prove that this Hollow is of my own. Then I shall withdraw and allow you to continue your research until our time is called. If not, I shall raze Soul Society."

I saw Anson's fist tense. He quickly glanced at me as I walked toward Sy. This time, I couldn't trust Sy's actions... he is no longer friendly. If anything were to happen, could I trust Shionari...?

_I shall stop any form of hostility he will happen to show_, Shionari assured me. I gave her a silent thanks as I faced the Hollow. Sy stepped on his thin panel of Reishi using his Sonído technique. I raised my hand and outstretched it at him, and he lowered the tip of his scythe into my arm, on a blood vessel. I felt the waters under me cringe, but the scythe was removed within the next second.

"I can confirm... that this Hollow was not generated by me, nor was created without my knowing. But this is indeed my Reiatsu..." He sighed. "I know not how this phenomenon was done." He turned to Anson. "Raynes-sotaichō, I apologize for my sudden appearance and hostility. I will trust your research in the extraction of Aizen's Hōgyoku... and aid you in the reconstruction of Seireitei. And, if you wish, I shall aid you in destroying this renegade 'timejumper' Hollow."

Anson smiled as he walked up to his once-upon-a-time comrade. "I appreciate your consideration. It's going to be like his timeline before I had returned... being able to trust you as we fight side by side."

"This shall never happen again," Sy replied. "Shinigami and Hollow are not intended to be allies. But I shall say that none may undermine the Ruler Over All Hollows and think they may be pardoned." He and Anson raised their arms in a handshake. I then opened my mouth to call a warning...

Sy was then suddenly drenched in blood.

"_Kuh_..." Sy muttered as he fell to the ground, his head nearly severed from his torso.

"Sy!" Anson yelled, his hand futilely lunging at the dead Hollow's arm. Sy immediately burst into black Reikyū, the lights moving to where he was last standing...

"Hollow Ichigo...!" Anson yelled. Sy's scythe had fallen into Hollow Ichigo's hand. The Hollow wiped his mouth with his arm, smearing Sy's blood off his face.

"Greetings Head Captain," he cackled. "All this untapped power... I'm recovered! And you know what that means, hmm?

"I have been able to wipe out all of my enemies with a single strike!" He raised his hand and immediately charged a red energy and fired at Anson. Anson reacted quickly enough to bat the Bala aside and send it sailing into the horizon.

All of the Captains and Lieutenants appeared around Hollow Ichigo at that moment. Fifteen Shinigami, including me and Anson, had him surrounded in a ring formation. The Hollow didn't look quite surprised. "If it isn't my King...!" he gasped sarcastically, pointing at Ichigo Kurosaki. "And he's wearing the Captain's coat? And is still a strapping young twenty-year-old?"

"I thought I was done with the annoying you a hundred years ago!" Ichigo yelled, drawing his Zanpakutō. "You're actually my Asauchi... wanting to take over my body and become a Shinigami of sorts!"

"Half was correct..." Hollow Ichigo laughed. "It was all a gimmick I couldn't take. It wasn't worth it... rather I just keep surviving to topple the Hollow King myself!" Hollow Ichigo raised his scythe and a great mass of multi-colored energy emanated from it. The energy gathered in the air, coalescing into one single mass.. "All of this Reiatsu... to destroy Seireitei... destroy the Gotei... destroy Soul Society...

"DESTROY EVERYTHING! AND CREATE ALL OVER AGAIN!"

I was greatly alarmed at the vast amount of Reiatsu in the Cero. "A Gran Rey...?" I heard Anson say. "No... All Captains, fall back! Any Shinigami capable of Dankū, defensive formation X, protect Seireitei!"

"No use, Raynes!" Hollow Ichigo exclaimed, throwing the mass at the retreating Captains; toward the Senzaikyū and Sōkyoku Hill. Anson saw the mass explode in size, becoming as large as a meteor several tens of meters in radius.

The waters of Mugen Shionari collapsed on top of me; the Entrench stance without giving my command. Anson seemingly disappeared, but I heard a defiant scream as he vanished. Claire's Zanpakutō immediately reacted on its own and shielded his, or her, master in its dome of diamonds. All Zanpakutō seemed to take on a defensive form on their masters. From all around Seireitei, I heard deathlike screams.

The landscape grew pitch dark as the energy seemed to sap light itself. I noticed Hollows around us dissipate away, their Reikyū floating toward the meteor Cero. I heard one last laugh from Hollow Ichigo as the Cero came down upon Seireitei.

"Cero... Réquiem!"

A loud roaring flooded my ears and I blacked out to the outburst of sound.

* * *

><p>I found myself shuddering as I awoke. The place was pitch black... save for specks of light that streamed through small cracks. I still found the water shell over me as I pushed the slab of floor off of my body. I was about to dust myself off until I scanned my surroundings.<p>

The sky was gray and gloomy. There was no color except for the browns, blacks and whites of the land, and the blue tint of Mugen Shionari's waters. I sealed Bankai, but Shionari's waters still encased me.

"What's..."

_Evil. All around. _Shionari sounded quite alarmed. I heard a distant yell, and I looked around and called back out to the ruins of Seireitei.

"ANYBODY HERE?!"

I continued the call as I strolled up and down the dark "streets". Buildings had been toppled over, some were cut in size. I lifted myself over a fallen building. "Do you sense anybody?"

_No._

"This... might be how Anson felt before knowing Claire was dying," I presumed. "But how am I able to take this so easily?"

_Chances are this place isn't of your timeline. And so, you are able to get by with a place you have never grown up in, never grown accustomed to._

"I've been in Seireitei for a while though. In my old timeline... does changing timelines influence things like this?"

_Ask Anson. But I really believe that guess is true._

I ducked under a wooden beam and over a pile of gravel. I was near the base of Sōkyoku Hill, or what was left of it... it was just a small plateau that was about three stories high, rather than the original fifteen. It was rather depressing, rather than unbearable to see. I finally located the stairs that lead up to the top of Sōkyoku Hill and started to climb.

_Kai... two signatures. Both are very faint... but one is fainter than the other. His, or her, life energy seems to be sapping away._

* * *

><p>Anson woke up with a jolt, breathing heavily. He gripped his throbbing forehead as he looked about.<p>

_What the hell... happened...?  
><em>

Light streamed around Anson through cracks in the ceiling. Rocks were strewn around the room he lay in. _Wait... that's right..._

"_Cero R__équiem!"_

"NO!"

Anson quickly rose to his feet, dashing up the nearby stairs toward his office. He wedged himself through two boulders that barred his path, and finally reached his office doors. The doors were bolted shut. Anson raised his two palms. "Hadō Thirty-Four, _Sōkatsui_!" The doors burst open at the energy blast. _Don't let this be... _Anson dashed to the banister and caught himself from falling. His mouth hung open, and his eyes widened as he feasted his eyes upon the landscape.

There were the multitudes of Shinigami and Zanpakutō, enjoying the festivities of the Zanpakutō Appreciation. Cheers of joy and enthusiasm rocked the atmosphere...

Gone.

Anson fell to his knees, trying to deny the image of this aftermath of cataclysm. The gray sky, the ruined buildings, the sekkiseki wall that had deserted the Gotei... this image was not what he wished to see...

The complete picture before him was the same picture that beheld him before he started his timejump adventure. Tears crept into his eyes, falling freely onto his dusty hakama. Unable to keep the emotion in, Anson finally gave a loud cry.

...

Anson finally got up as he set out the technique to locate Reiatsu. He was about to stop the technique, knowing how futile it was the first experience, but he stopped as he felt one signature... though it was close to fading. "Claire..." he said. "Claire...!"

_Sōkyoku Hill!_

Anson shunpo'ed out of the building and skidded to a halt before changing trajectory toward the large mesa. As expected, the flowers were gone, all ripped away due to the immense power of the _Cero R__équiem._At the edge of the Hill, there stood a dome of diamond. "Claire!" Anson sprinted to the dome and bashed on the material with his fist. "Claire! Waishou Sanwaon... open up! She's dying in there! Open up!"

_She will die faster if I allow her to be exposed any longer._

"Shut up and open your goddamn cage!"

There was a hesitation as the diamond quickly dissipated away. Claire's feeble form lay on the ground. Her face was drenched in sweat, and her breathing was erratic, coming out in short rasps. Anson picked her up and shook her.

"No... stay..._ stay with me_!"

* * *

><p>I pushed myself into running up the winding staircase, skipping steps when necessary. After a few seconds, I finally stopped the familiar routine into shunpo'ing up the stairs. Why hadn't I thought of doing so earlier?<p>

The white trees were toppled over, another aftermath of the Cero Réquiem. I raced over the trees and burst myself into the familiar barren Sōkyoku Hill that was just a flourishing garden a while ago.

"No... stay... _stay with me_!"

Anson! So what had happened...

I dashed to the figure carrying another figure, approaching them slowly to not startle them. Anson quickly noticed me and turned his eyes away from me. Claire's head was resting in the crook of Anson's elbow, breathing heavily. Sweat poured from her forehead as I felt her other Reiatsu try to stabilize her health.

_Hollow Reiryoku and Shinigami Reiryoku mixing together..._ Shionari told me. _The two are never supposed to come in contact with each other... as they are opposing sides of a Reiryoku and Reiatsu spectrum. This does not happen to you because of Sy's advanced technique with a spirit membrane that isolates the Hollow catalyst from your Shinigami Reiryoku. If the two Reiryoku are to mix... Soul Suicide happens..._

I noticed Shionari's Shikai state still coursing around my body. "So what is the meaning of this 'body armor' of sorts?"

_Cero Réquiem has the effects like an atomic bomb of the_ World of the Living_. Hollow Reiatsu acts as fallout, infecting any Soul that does not have a protective membrane around them. Because of the density of water atoms and your Hollow catalyst, I shall be able to absorb the Hollow Reiryoku and be released for long periods of time. Anson... Jikan no Uranaishi, rather Jikan-Tekina Munashii, most likely has created a void around himself to bar passage of the Reiatsu to his system._

"And Claire? Shouldn't she have some sort of atomic barrier?"

_Her defenses... may have been penetrated. _Shionari's waters pulled off from the main mass and started toward Claire. Anson noticed the blob and pulled Claire closer to himself, and the water hung in the air. _Anson,_ Shionari said, _if that Hollow Reiatsu is not removed, Claire will die. I shall extract the Hollow Reiryoku in her own reserves. This should cancel the Soul Suicide... I hope.  
><em>

"Why should I put her in your hands...?"

_You have no timeline to jump back to. Either way, Hollow Ichigo will appear and use the __Cero R__équiem. This predicament will only replay itself, with me as the one to heal Claire. _I saw Anson cringe, but acquiesce by allowing Claire to lay on the ground. The blob of water entered through her chest and dissolved into her body.

_Anson,_ I heard Shionari's voice say, _extend your void barrier to shield Claire. If she is exposed to the atmosphere when I remove the Hollow Reiryoku, she will only become infected again. _Anson looked up. I saw him gulp as his seemingly invisible barrier covered over Claire. He then watched as the water mass came back up, carrying a blackish liquid bulging within it. The liquid dissipated, and I felt slightly rejuvenated. _It is finished. Give her a minute... Her Reiryoku only requires recovering now.  
><em>

"How can I thank you?" Anson dipped his head toward me, which made me slightly uncomfortable. When I realized he was gesturing toward Shionari, I relaxed a bit.

_Send Kai back to his timeline. Otherwise, if I am subject to this world, you will be succeeded by my new self's master._

Anson raised his head, bearing a thankful smile. His eyes returned to their heated glow. "Kai. I promise you... after we have dealt with Hollow Ichigo... you, and Shionari... the two of you _are_ going home...! By my will, this will be finished!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: If anyone hasn't noticed yet (I post any updates to profile/stories on the Profile Page), I have changed the roster to fill the Eighth Position of the Gotei Thirteen.**

**-Rosche has been moved to the Eighth Division Captain position.  
>-Ichigo is the Sixth Division Captain.<br>-Tsubasa Daichi is the Eighth Division Lieutenant.**


	38. 37: From the Ashes

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part V: Misplaced Timeline Arc**

**Chapter 37: From the Ashes**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>Anson carried Claire into the underground training area under his office. It was sealed airtight by the bookcase, where Anson added an extra Dankū barrier to bar any more Reiatsu from leaking inside. "These sekkiseki walls and stairs will prevent any Reiatsu leakage as well. We could stay here... for the time being. Hollow Ichigo has most likely gone to the Firmament to confront the Hollow King... through which he requires the Ōken in order to enter. Then he may be at the Twelfth Division barracks to access the information we had gathered to extract the Hōgyoku from Aizen's body..."<p>

"Is that even possible?" I asked. "I read from the archives that the Hōgyoku fused with Aizen's body... because it accepted him as his master or something?"

Anson walked over to the pool of healing waters and dipped his hand in it. He brought it his eye for a second before drinking it. "No longer. Urahara had explained to me that the Hōgyoku has stayed within Aizen because of mere subjugation. If Aizen were let free of Muken, the Hōgyoku would implode on Aizen, ending his life. However, we would then lose the Hōgyoku. That is why Central Forty-Six had sentenced him to Muken... the void regulates the amount of Reiatsu released, and so limits the Hōgyoku's capabilities.

"Urahara's research included binding Kidō and part of the Sōkyoku in order to create a scalpel that burns away organic Reishi, Reishi that is used to create us "living souls" as compared to buildings and the earth. Using that scalpel, we can cut the Reishi strings associated with the Hōgyoku's infusion... thus removing it from Aizen.

"Urahara has already created a mechanism that subjugates the Hōgyoku without infusion to a living host. This will create the capabilities of an Ōken... or similar item; any item, for that matter. Hollow Ichigo will commence this procedure, take the Hōgyoku, take the mechanism from Urahara, and enter the Firmament. I just have to gauge the arrival time in which Hollow Ichigo enters the Firmament. Too early, and the Soul King will take our lives. Too late, and this world will be rent asunder... with your existence lost to this world."

_You are going to bet on Hollow Ichigo walking into this trap we have set,_ Shionari clarified.

"Exactly." Anson had taken another drink and wiped his hands against his haori. "It is a great time lapse... given that Hollow Ichigo has gained his previous powers, he is able to take on the Royal Guard by himself. He shall be exhausted after that battle, which when we come in and finish him."

"What of the Royal Guard?"

"My best bet is that Hollow Ichigo will kill Nimaiya and the more loyal members of the Royal Guard, Senjumaru and Ōsho. Tenjirō and Kirio have more loyalty to the Gotei due to their previous affiliations... and their newness of the Guard. Before I went to the Firmament to rescue you, I have been able to make easy friends with the two of them." Anson smirked proudly to himself. "They know me for my actions within their realm, despite the Soul King's beliefs."

Claire started to stir.

_She's waking up,_ Shionari hinted. I only nodded, while Anson darted his head in Claire's direction.

"How long...?" she finally whispered.

"Quite some time..." Anson said, producing a cup from a void pocket. "Take in some water..." She opened her eyes, fumbling a little for the cup of healing water. She then took it to her mouth and drank its contents in one swig. "Feeling better yet?"

"What happened...?" she asked.

Anson was hesitant to explain. "Cero Réquiem... Hollow Ichigo destroyed Seireitei. From the original timeline... it was the awakening of the Vasto Lorde Hollow that destroyed the Seireitei through Rukongai Ten..." Anson shifted his gaze away from his Lieutenant. "Now, with Réquiem, I believe destruction extends as far as Thirty..."

Claire's mouth hung open for a second before she herself broke down and fell into Anson's arms, sobbing. Anson brought her to his chest and hugged at her head, pressing his cheek against her temple. I drew my eyes away, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the display of their affection. "The Gotei..." Claire whispered. "...they are gone?"

"I sensed no other survivors other than the three of us, and our Zanpakutō."

I brought my hand to my forehead, chewing on my lip as to prevent myself from crying. Rosche, Brandon, Jorden... gone? I was barely able to say my farewells to them in my original timeline, but the inability to say farewells to them in this timeline greatly distressed me. I finally couldn't hold it in and started to sniffle... and later, walk to sit under a tree and cry. I buried my head in my arms, allowing the tears to stain the sleeves of my shihakusho.

Tender hands came around my head and pulled me into a lean. Hair, smelling like an ocean breeze, tickled my nose. "Everything will be alright..." I heard Shionari say to me.

Alright? How is everything going to be alright when I am going to lose her as well?

Then deep within my mind, I was reminded that only the friends I made in this timeline were gone. My other friends were still alive. A burning passion welled within to me to kill Hollow Ichigo. I was amazed that I was going to settle for his obliteration over my return to my home timeline.

"He is going to pay," I vowed in between my sniffles.

* * *

><p>Anson had returned from the outside world. "It has been confirmed; Hollow Ichigo has taken the Hōgyoku." He sat down on a rock near the healing lake. "I went to the Senzaikyū to see Aizen's execution tapes lying around, as well as splatters of his blood on the walls."<p>

"How can you be so sure that Aizen hadn't escaped?" Claire asked?

"Reiatsu signatures are still able to be salvaged from blood. Besides, the whole room was almost burnt to ashes." Anson stooped down, retrieving a slip of paper from a rift in the dirt. "Urahara calls. 'Divine Son, Hollow Ichigo stopped by. By now, he has an Ōken. I do hope you know he aims to enter the Firmament. Luckily, I was able to escape detection with a Reiatsu-concealing cloak. My candy store got obliterated, so I have no where to go. Perhaps you could whip out a spot for me when you're done?'" Anson laughed. "Urahara, you lazy bastard."

"Do we leave soon?" I asked, somewhat eager.

Anson looked through the hole he had made earlier in the day, which was now sealed with a glass panel, thanks to Claire. "It's night out. Hollow Ichigo should be likewise exhausted. He may go in the morning... even though he borrowed power through the Cero Réquiem like a Quincy, it should still take a toll on the user. I say we call it a day and turn in. We will arrive in the Firmament via my Bankai... and confront the Soul King or Hollow Ichigo... in the morning. If we act accordingly, we should be fine."

Claire nodded her head and drew her sword. "For better comfort... Bankai; Tenchisōzō..." Claire's Zanpakutō imploded on itself and became bright lights. The lights adorned themselves on Claire's wrists, as well as trailing behind her back in a strange looking ornament. "'The Creation'," Claire said, "allows the manipulation of all microscopic and macroscopic matter." She raised a hand at the dirt ground, erecting the walls and roof of two dirt huts; one of them was larger than the other. "Anson has provided futons, already laid out inside the houses. No need to worry, the roofs shall not fall on top of us."

"Claire's Zanpakutō is overpowered..." Anson said. "She can change the terrain of the Spiritual _and _Physical world. Zanpakutō are generally limited to the Spiritual world..."

"Shh... it's not important. We won't have time to go to the World of the Living even after the end of all this." Anson sighed as he entered the larger house, the one farthest from the waterfall. Claire followed Anson closely after sealing her Bankai.

"I get a room to myself..." I mused, walking toward the smaller hut. From within, I could still hear the rumbling of the waterfall. Inside the hut was scrupulously clean for a dirt building. A prepared futon bed was sitting on a blue tarp a small distance from the front door, while a raised section of dirt; possibly a table; stood at the far wall from the bed. I removed my black, dusty kosode and shook out the dust by snapping it as I aired the article out. I then neatly folded it and set it on the dirt "table" before finally stooping down into the bed and pulling the covers over myself.

"Tomorrow..." I muttered. Tomorrow was my final day in this timeline; either dead or alive in my original timeline. My passion to fight was gone. I hadn't realized that I couldn't fight for Shionari to stay. However, that was only if I had released Zettaikai... which was now only a last resort.

"_I'd rather die with someone... than let them die alone."_

Now my entire mind was set on not even thinking of releasing Zettaikai. No, the pain would be too unbearable...

"Kai...?"

I turned around to see Shionari kneeling by the futon bed. I found it strange for her to be here now. "Is something the matter?" I asked. "Everything will go fine smoothly tomorrow."

"I'm not worried about how tomorrow will be." Her face drooped down. "I... I'm scared about you. It's been too long, given our time together... what happened between us... it's too hard to let go of you and let you use Zettaikai."

"It's hard for me too," I said, completely turning around and involuntarily putting a hand on her claws. I realized what I had done, but Shionari clapped a claw over my hand before I could draw back.

"Say... Could I... sleep by you?"

"Huh...?"

Shionari turned her head away. "If you do use the Zettaikai... I'd hopefully have some memory of our time together. Other than my father and the outcast human from my time, you were the next person who was nice to me. I'm not ready to leave you..."

I sighed. I didn't want to. If I was attached anymore, I wouldn't perform the Zettaikai... and be subject to this world. But I longed to return to my, our, timeline... yet together. Turning around, I weighed the two options in my mind.

Relenting, I said, "Don't do anything crazy," taking advantage of her naivete. I could picture her smiling as the covers moved and an air pocket formed behind me. You, with no hopes of getting together with a girl, finally having one wanting to sleep by you... I always thought the happening only happened in anime. Still feeling a little frustrated, I closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep, until a talon curled through my hair.

"Kai..." Shionari's voice said. "Why do you close yourself from others?"

"What're you saying?" My voice sounded gruff. I am irritable when I'm tired... so knowing this, I tried to calm my voice down. I then lay on my back so I faced the ceiling, and glanced at Shionari with my left eye.

"When you speak with Rosche, even Kanomi those few times, it felt as though you were trying to hold something back. Through your mind about when you were with Lydia, you were greatly distressed, enough to distress me. Did something happen then? About the opposite gender?" I said nothing; I absolutely did not want to speak of this. "Are you ignoring me as well?"

The persistence. In reality, I've always wanted to discuss this issue, but I reconsidered the chance each time the subject was open for discussion. But even so, right now I was withholding the explanation. But I could finally stop bottling it up so someone... someone would know. I turned my gaze up to the ceiling again.

"Three years," I finally said, frantically trying to rid myself from all desperation, "three years before I was a Shinigami... I was in the Eighth Grade in middle school. That was when I first met Lydia. When she greeted me, I felt overjoyed that my return to my home state would be a smooth transition from being away for so long. And so, I started to like Lydia. But as I spent time in her group during lunch, I realized something; I could not connect with their discussions, nor did Lydia nor her friends never include me in them. But even when I was trying to leave their group, she and a couple of her friends would try to coax me back. It went on for some time until I could finally stand it no longer... even surrounded by 'friends', I was alone. It was always me going up to them... never the other way." Shionari stayed silent, and for that I was grateful.

"But that wasn't the only thing that happened. Though they probably thought it was unintentional, Lydia and her friends made me come to a conclusion; one of the female gender. Besides... these words probably aren't the same I had come up with that some four or five years ago." I felt my chest drag me down. Physically, my heart felt heavy, and sink toward the mattress underneath me. "Girls... they mean well to you... but if you as popular as they are, you don't matter to them. Those popular ones... they don't get together with a nobody-guy like they do in anime... rather, they play with your emotions. They give you something you appreciate... and then rip it away. I finally learned to keep to myself and not become attached.

"Two years later, I would renounce intimacy beyond friendship with the other gender."

I took a short pause, to which I felt Shionari inch closer to me and wrap her arms around my shoulders. "I was actually surprised you were female, given the male-sounding voice of your true form."

"More like... you didn't want to connect with the other gender so much that you thought so..." Shionari said. "When you came back... something of 'running from reality', you decided against completely shutting yourself off." Shionari hugged me tighter. I felt more uncomfortable as she pressed closer. "Are you still alone?"

"I can't say the same for others compared to you," I said. "You live in my mind, and hear the majority of my thoughts. And so you understand me the most." I sighed, wanting to move, only that the embrace I was receiving impeded almost any movement. "And yet the same, from me to you. This is part of the reason that I don't want to fight tomorrow..."

"You're indecisive."

"Quite so..." I lowered my head toward my chest, and then turned to face her. "I don't know about tomorrow... whether or not I have the determination to release the Zettaikai... the use ends with your loss... and my Shinigami powers along with it." Tears threatened to fill my eyes. "I... I liked your company. It made me feel wanted. Even though... you are a part of me."

"I can say the same..." Shionari said, a tear rolling out of her eye. "And... don't worry over tomorrow... we don't know what tomorrow brings, and so we shouldn't have to worry of it. But what I have asked now... I know the inevitable. I want to say...

"Thank you."

"That..." I said, "and I'll remember you."

Overcome with emotion, I embraced her head against my chest and found requiesence in dreaming about our inner world; sitting on the banks of the lone island and gazing at the roaring tides.

* * *

><p>Hichigo rose from the rock that was his seat for the past few hours. He checked the mechanism in the middle of the underground training area, which had finally come to a halt of is sputtering and rumbling. Opening the hatch, he found a fine power which was whisked away by a short wind. "What the hell... the Hōgyoku broke down?" He snickered to himself. "So much for a 'breakdown' sphere..."<p>

Hichigo then opened the top hatch, bringing out a finely crafted sword with prongs like a key. "So much for an illustration of an Ōken..." he muttered. "It looks like a fucking Zanpakutō." He spun it around his hand, testing out its compatibility with his skill. "Too heavy... plus this procedure took too fucking long. Perhaps that Urahara delayed it such." Hichigo sighed. "At least... now I have the key to be a king-killer. That could be this Zanpakutō's name... Ōno Korosuno!" Hichigo cackled to himself. He then raised the blade as if opening a Senkaimon. "And so... it's the Ryoka Invasion! Version B, difficulty X!" He pierced the air, in which its blade dissolved as if it found an invisible keyhole. Twisting the entire blade caused an intricate door of pale stone studded with sharp rocks to appear. The double doors opened inward, away from Hichigo, and bathed the Hollow in a bright light.

The one-man-army has entered the Firmament.


	39. 38: Endscape 1

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part V: Misplaced Timeline Arc**

**Chapter 38:**** Endscape, Part One**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

* * *

><p>There was no alarm.<p>

There were no guards.

There was no indication that Hichigo could say that he was within the Firmament.

And yet the place was just as it was the last time he had come here... only that the place was connected with bridges and walkways. He spotted the few moving platforms, but now noticed that none had a blue sheen to them; all were inactive.

Hichigo unsheathed the Ōken Zanpakutō and marched straight for the Palace of the Soul King.

* * *

><p>"The invasion has begun," Anson said. I threw the covers off of my body and put on my dusty hakama. "There was an issue to the Gotei; an old message-link told me the report on the matter. Hollow Ichigo had arrived just a minute ago. By now, he would have reached the Palace of the Soul King and engaged battle with the Royal Guard."<p>

"How long until we arrive ourselves?" I asked.

"Not long." Anson looked toward the sky, somewhat worried. "If Hollow Ichigo is as strong as he demonstrated, he could easily wipe out the Royal Guard within an hour." Anson then grinned. "That leaves us twenty-four minutes if that were one Guardsman at a time. We'll leave in twenty minutes. Breakfast is being served." I finished tying Shionari to my sash, and headed out of the hut behind Anson. Right as I stepped over the threshold, the hut sank into the ground.

Claire was seated upon a tarp on the grass near the healing lake, handling canned food. There were a few cans of food and bagels. Anson produced a small tub and knife. "Found the cream cheese," he said triumphantly. "All whipped and ready to eat..."

"Where did all of this food come from?" I asked.

"Fourth Division barracks," Claire replied. "Anson brought it all back... but returned to the barracks when I told him of the cream cheese which one Fourth Division member was hiding."

"He had a lot of empty tubs," Anson said. "There was a half-finished one, and finally this one... I think he just ate the cheese straight out of the tub." He tugged at the plastic wrap around the tub and popped off its lid. He then took the knife and sliced the bagel in two. He dipped the knife into the spread and smeared it on the bagel. "Been too long since I've had cream cheese on bagels," he said with a content smile. "To think this'll going to be my last meal..." He looked at me and nodded. "So... enjoy it while you still can."

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Anson stood beside a hastily formed frame. It seemed like the main Senkaimon in the Seireitei, only that it was miniaturized. He chanted a mantra, like he had done with Urahara's Garganta. However, this mantra took nearly three times as long to chant, and I could sense many pauses where Anson had to swallow saliva. He finally breathed deeply and gasped "<em>kin<em>". The words flew from his hand as it had done last time, which in reality was ten days ago. He collapsed to the ground and Claire rushed to his side with water from the healing lake.

"Thanks," he said after nearly taking in the cupful of water. "That healing water... I feel better already. That dimension gate... took way too long to crack."

"How so?" I asked.

Anson laughed. "I called three times as many release seals to throw at the gate, where it required only half of those words!" His expression turned into sheer frustration. "Fuck you, Soul King."

"Language," Claire said sternly, her eyes turning a venomous glare. Anson seemed to shrink under her gaze. "Anyways, let us go through the gate, shall we?" She stepped toward the gate, but Anson tried to stop her from walking so casually.

"Claire, don't walk!" It was already too late. I watched as Claire stuck a foot into the gate and seemingly dropped into a hidden hole of sorts. A string of screaming trailed behind her, becoming fainter by the second. Anson sighed as he turned to me. "Kai... get ready for... _an unexpected trip through an open window_!"

"Haah?" I asked as Anson pushed me toward the frame, his laugh immediately becoming fainter. I saw the brown of the dirt ground, then the white of the Tenkaimon gate... and the golden color of the firmament sky dotted with the light gray of the floating clouds. I heard myself screaming as gravity pulled me downward.

When my throat was too sore to scream, I saw Claire falling up towards me. I swallowed what little saliva in my throat and asked her, "What's happening to you?"

"A mix of high pressure winds and low pressure winds converge together to create a convection current. If the winds spin together fast enough, the convection current can make objects float... faster than that, the winds become a tropical storm, and then a hurricane." I noted Claire's immense frustration by the taut expression of her face.. "That Anson..."

"Tried to tell you," Anson called from above, floating down to meet us. "Couldn't help myself doing something like this. I barely have time to make portals like that... and falling to the battlefield is the grand arrival. Urahara and I share the penchant of being jumpers to the battlefield."

"And if we hit the ground before we react?!" Claire shouted above the wind.

"That shouldn't happen," Anson replied, grinning. "I guarantee it; you'd do anything to stop yourself beforehand. Besides... hell-jumping seems like the most dramatic entries! You get a thrill of dying before you start killing people! You reach fight-or-flight the moment you step on the ground!"

"Speaking of ground," I muttered, "look at the damage Hollow Ichigo has done already." I pointed to the floating pathways, which were now marked with slash marks and craters.

"He's going about the Firmament like Godzilla in the movies," Anson noted. "Going about, destroying all he can..." Anson materialized a path of Reishi toward the shambled main road. "He's probably at the Soul King Palace by now, where things are going as we planned... hopefully."

The three of us hurried down the reishi path and then toward the Soul King Palace. There were none to impede our progress; the only five guards were fighting Hollow Ichigo. We hurried toward the palace, which its double doors had seemingly disappeared from their hinges. Anson, Claire, and I made it to the top of the stairs.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a body flew past us, followed by the trail of blood pattering after the figure. I felt my body go cold as my head turned to the purple-haired individual. "You... now you... arrive..."

"Ki... Kirio..." Anson stammered. As he turned, the Royal Guard member exploded into lights which mercilessly rose into the air.

"I sent them... a message..." Anson said, "not to interfere... unless they were the last ones alive..." I traced Anson's gaze as it trailed into the Palace. "He... he can take on... the entire... Royal Guard... in a third of the time I hypothesized!" I watched as the silhouette of Hollow Ichigo approached the large gem-like object that housed the Soul King. I felt Anson's reiatsu give a sudden outburst as a stream of Reiatsu streamed past my face. The stream made contact with Hollow Ichigo, forming a rather large hole in his shoulder.

_We got his attention, _I said, feeling dread as the three of us approached him. The air was heavy with Hollow Reiatsu.

"Raynes," Hollow Ichigo said. The hole in his shoulder disappeared as skin seemed to entwine on itself to cover the hole. "Your Reiatsu has been unpleasant since you caged me in diamond..." He turned to face us completely. His mouth curled into a smile. "I almost overturned this world to my hand... and you've come at the last minute when everything doesn't matter anymore!"

Anson, Claire, and I drew our Zanpakutō. "The whole room is filled with Hollow Reiatsu," Anson said. "And I don't feel the Soul King's presence... so Hollow Ichigo must be suppressing the Soul King's power. I'm sure I can manipulate Hollow Ichigo's timeline."

"I believe you've forgotten something?" Claire asked.

"Then that'd be too bad." He raised his Zanpakutō. "The timeline is in your control... _Jikan no Uranaishi_!" The katana turned virtually invisible, save for the dancing lights that seemed to outline the blade. The lights traced in a mesmerizing interval; one-second, two-second...

"Creation abides to your will, _Waishou Sanwaon_!" Claire's Zanpakutō turned into a lance or halberd of sorts; something reminiscent of a sword with an extended hilt.

I slightly frowned at the lack of words in my release. "Rage, _Shionari_!" The blade of my Zanpakutō melted away into Shionari's true form, which curled around my body and roared at Hollow Ichigo.

"Only Shikai?" Hollow Ichigo asked. "You underestimate me, Raynes... And all the more easier to _kill the lot of you_!" He dashed forward with his large scimitar in hand, its tip pointed directly at Anson. I noticed Anson grinning as he dashed forward as well, his semi-invisible blade in one hand in preparation for what seemed to be a jab.

_Compress the timeline._

Anson ducked under the scimitar with an unrivaled speed and brought his blade in an uppercut fashion, knocking Hollow Ichigo's Zanpakutō up. "Switch!" Anson called joyously.

"Now's not the time for anime references!" Claire scolded. She turned and nodded at me before bounding into battle. While Claire took a path toward the left of Hollow Ichigo, I took the right. I saw as Anson took the opportunity to fire a Kidō blast into Hollow Ichigo's stomach before retreating. Hollow Ichigo was thrown backward, toward the Soul King's encasement. Claire summoned shards of rock from salvaging the atoms from the Palace walls and floor, while I readied a water projectile in Shionari's mouth. The two attacks collided into Hollow Ichigo before he was able to rise from the ground. A cloud of dust obscured him from sight.

"Direct hit?" Anson asked.

I was about to turn to him as shards of diamond shot out from within the dust cloud. I was able to easily dodge the projectiles. I turned to check on Anson and Claire, noticing that they were knocked to the ground and that Anson's haori was ripped in several places. The two suffered cuts around their arms and legs. I was greatly alarmed; the bolts were easy to evade...

"Homing... projectiles...?" Claire muttered. "Using Waishou Sanwaon's power..."

"Using our powers..." Anson said. "He may have been gauging our time using Jikan no Uranaishi's abilities..."

"Didn't you warn us of this just the night before?!" Claire asked, getting up to her feet. "And... why is Kai unhurt?!"

"Not homing," I brought myself to say. "He... I believe he was tracking your Reiatsu signatures. He absorbed Anson's Reiatsu from the diamond cage during my timeline... but that doesn't explain why Claire's Reiatsu was tracked."

Anson sighed as Hollow Ichigo emerged from the dust almost unscathed. "It was part of the old timeline. It's an old story, which we haven't the time for. Tracking Reiatsu... seems like we just have to go with the traditional frontal assault!"

"You think you're so powerful...!" Hollow Ichigo taunted. He raised a hand, creating an orb of black Reiatsu inside the palm. After pulling the hand back and pushing it toward Anson, Hollow Ichigo followed his Cero to meet with the Head Captain. Anson countered the blast with the red energy of Shakkaho, and a great cloud of smoke billowed between the two combatants. There were occasional flashes from as when the swords bashed against each other.

Claire had faltered. "I... I can barely discern the two from each other... With this Hollow aura, I can see two of Anson's Reiatsu..."

"Planned from the start...?" I asked. I whipped Shionari around and sent her into the smoke. _Hopefully, you can figure out which is Anson and which is Hollow Ichigo._

_Would I first heal or injure? It wouldn't matter as long as I heal Anson and hurt Hollow Ichigo, right?_

_Sure. As long as you do as you said._

Shionari disappeared into the plume of smoke and weaved about inside. She trailed out of the smoke to smash a figure in black against a pillar. Shionari darted away from the structure as it came falling down upon its victim. _I doubt I have done much,_ Shionari noted.

As said, Hollow Ichigo burst out of the fallen debris and leapt at me. I raised a hand for Enkōsen, but his blade was likewise stopped by the intervention of Anson and Claire. Hollow Ichigo had surrounded himself.

"Hadō Ninety, Kurohitsugi!" A black framework seeped out of the ground, forming a box shape at Hollow Ichigo's feet. Claire and I jumped back as the box formed walls around the Hollow. The entire box now closed upon Hollow Ichigo and hid him from the world. A crack then appeared across a wall, and Hollow Ichigo burst forth from his temporary prison.

"Like Aizen..." Hollow Ichigo mused, "after Ichigo came out of Dangai training. It brought back nostalgic memories..." Barely leaving much time to react, he dove toward me once again. I brought Shionari around in an arc, my bladeless hilt nearly scratching his mask, and the water dragon pushed him out of my face. Hollow Ichigo smashed into another pillar, and unsettled dust fell from the ceiling. I warily looked up as I looked toward Anson and Claire.

Anson inspected the Hollow's crash location before bringing up his hand and calling a portal. A small clear bottle carrying strangely shaped masses dropped from the portal and into Anson's palm. He quickly unscrewed the lid and popped one of the gummies into his mouth. He then took out two more gummies and threw one each to the rest of us. It seemed reminiscent of those calcium supplement gummy bears I used to take as a child. He dropped the bottle, where it was swallowed by another portal.

"You've held back on the Soul Booster until now?" Claire asked.

"Naturally," Anson replied. "Gauging his power, I won't match up to him without them... it was foolish of me that we could take him even after fighting the entire Royal Guard. And so, if he could withstand our Shikai to this level, we may as well crack things up a few notches." My eyes grew as he raised his sword in a combat pose. His Reiatsu flared. Claire sighed as she did the same. Hollow Ichigo rose from the rubble and looked at us, a smile appearing devilishly across his face.

"That's what he wants you to do!" I called a second too late.

"_Bankai_! Jikan-Tekina Munashii!" Anson's blade morphed into its intricate hilt pattern with its elongated blade. Claire called forth her Tenchisōzō, the blade-spear shattering into many lights and forming its ribbon patterns before settling on Claire's wrists and around her back.

Hollow Ichigo laughed maniacally as he stabbed his Zangetsu blade into the ground and raised his hands as if he were calling God, or some epic pose of the like. "Raynes! You lose!" Reishi gathered around his hands, streaming from the ground around him and bathing him within the dim lights.

Anson dashed forward, but a stream of Reishi caught him in the chest before he even advanced a yard. A bud of diamond burst from his chest as he shouted in protest. Claire followed up behind him, and she was also caught by the stream of spiritual particles, but her timeline froze in place instead. "N-no!" I shouted.

"Lifelink...!" Anson called out before his form was completely turned crystallized.

The gears of my mind scrambled to find a solution. The twin streams of Reishi had disappeared from Hollow Ichigo's hands... but I remembered that one more weapon was in store for me.

Medallion.

I held back my anger as I glanced at the two superior Shinigami, both halted in time in their own ways. I turned back to Hollow Ichigo, whom was swinging his blade at my neck. The timeline was creeping up to me, and I was not going to be able to guide Shionari's form in time. Everything was in slow motion.

My face was splashed with water, and my neck felt cold and frozen. I gasped as Shionari's form from the other side of the room was breaking down and moving across to me at an unrivaled speed, attempting to push Hollow Ichigo's blade away. The forward momentum of the blade flowed through the ice, and I heard a sorrowed voice from within my mind.

_Kai... I... am sorry._

A word flashed through my mind. Medallion.

"Shionari! D-Don't do it...!"

Against my command, my Reiatsu burst out, knocking Hollow Ichigo away. I gasped for breath, as I found Shionari's Zanpakutō form in my hand, and I was completely aware of every molecule of air in the atmosphere. Tears came to my eyes as I saw Hollow Ichigo slowly reveal the Quincy Medallion from inside his ravaged Shihakusho.

_Kai..._ Shionari's voice said. _Return... to your timeline. I wish... for the best of you..._

My feelings willed me against speaking against her, and my sorrow raged against my anger. _Why... why would you willingly give yourself...?_

For a second, I was transported to my inner world. Shionari was slowly fading away, given that the Medallion's effects had already activated. _Because I know... sacrificing myself to protect you... was the only way. I would not have allowed you to come... if I hadn't taught you the Zettaikai..._ Tears streamed down her face and I rushed forward to pull her back, but the inner world was sucked out from beneath my feet, along with my control over the water molecules. My mind was ripped from that world and back to Reality.

My Reiatsu had left me. I was in my Shikai form, but the water dragon was lifeless and waited for a command. It's eye was dim, having its soul ripped out from it. The black lightning of the Medallion shone brightly as it was called to return to the device. Hollow Ichigo trailed over to Raynes as his gaze rested on me. "See Raynes... you lose. Your pawn will never win with that soulless Shikai of his." He sauntered over to me and used his blade to push up my chin. I felt my skin split to the contact with the sharp edges. "You're dead. Like how the Captains were when they lost their Zanpakutō."

A small voice entered my mind. _"It has happened to me once before, in training my own skill in my Zanpakutō and having it stolen... and Hyōrinmaru does not wish for it to happen to his younger cousin Zanpakutō." _

"Hitsugaya... didn't give up," I brought myself to say. I raised my sword out to the side. Hollow Ichigo's blade sunk a little deeper into my throat, drawing blood.

"Move anymore, and your head's gonna roll..." He said menacingly. I saw his bared teeth.

I breathed in once as my mind was set on one objective. The gain in Reiatsu was so explosive that Hollow Ichigo was blown away from me and skidded behind several yards. He raised the Vandenreich Medallion and sent forth the torrents of water of Shionari no Mugen Nagare. I slowly raised my right hand and the waters converged around my body, as if Mugen Shionari refused to be used by the Hollow.

Shionari... there was no voice to answer my calls. Snatches of her words only fueled my desire to bring her back. But before that...

_All of my skills are limited to your imagination._

_I remember... the river..._

_And with the conclusion to the Zettaikai... we shall be separated forever..._

_Return... to your timeline. I wish... for the best of you..._

I had to completely destroy this son of a bitch.

"Open the floodgates of Heaven and Earth..." I said quietly.


	40. 39: Endscape 2

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part V: Misplaced Timeline Arc**

**Chapter 39: Endscape, Part Two**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

"Open the floodgates of Heaven and Earth," I said quietly, "Fun'iki."

The waters that converged around my arm now gathered around me, creating a veil that separated me from Hollow Ichigo. The waters hugged me as they morphed into appendages that covered my arms from the elbow down, my legs from the knee down, and my torso to my shoulders and sternum, complete with wings.. It continued down my spine and ending with a aqueous tail with a trident like tip. The appendages on my arms and legs ended with claws, like a Hyōrinmaru if his claws were of water and not ice. I could see my hands through the liquid. And like Shionari's waters, I was perfectly dry even though I was in contact with the water.

The veil of water sank washed into the wings. The connection to the myriad molecules of water were much stronger than when I was in Bankai. I was fully aware of the water molecules inside Hollow Ichigo's body, every one that coursed in his blood vessels, those dissolved in his stomach, and those that regulated his bodily activity.

"'All of my skills are limited to your imagination'," I said. "In what ways shall the atmosphere crush you?" I was being completely arrogant, with no one to rebuke me. The atmosphere, if condensed, was more than enough to immerse all of The Firmament in water. I caught myself smiling like the devil. "What am I doing, standing around...?"

I noticed Hollow Ichigo slowly backing away from me.

"A while ago, you were doing all you can to hit me. Now, you're creating distance between us." I felt the water in his brain vibrate at an abnormal pace, as if he were remembering something vaguely familiar. Before he turned complete Hollow, Ichigo was an unstoppable Shinigami. "What are you scared of?" I asked him cautiously.

His voice was lost to me as the water resounded with the crash of a tidal wave. My body sprang forth, my hand outstretched. I felt the appendage of my arm mutate into an elongated weapon, and then harden against my hand. With silent anger, my arm swept across the horizon, carving a hole in the wall behind Ichigo, and he was sent flying through the wall of the Soul King Palace himself. His shihakusho was ripped. I reverted the aqueous appendage into its default claw form, and telepathically gathered water to mix with the sekkiseki dust that fell to the ground world. I carried the water behind me and shaped them into spears, glowing with a tinge of gold from the sekkiseki material. Slowly, shards of ice carrying that sekkiseki dust hovered around us.

"It should have washed past me..." I heard him whisper. I could feel his anxiety. "I was ready for the drain..."

"By increasing the surface tension of water... with even a simple swing, I can hit you like a truck. There's no need to absorb what little presence you have." I raised a hand. "However, draining away your presence is all I want." I swung the hand at Hollow Ichigo and the shards of ice sailed through the air. Due to his dexterity, he was able to evade most of the shards. However, one struck his side. Another in his shoulder. He was slowing down, and the last of the shards sliced through his Hierro and drew blood. I flapped my aqueous wings to his location and formed my right appendage into the blade of a great-sword and thrust the blade into his chest, where he tried to block with his hand. The impact sent him flying back to the palace. A cloud of dust billowed from where he had impacted.

I looked at my hand again. "This technique... so strong..."

"_And with the conclusion of the Zettaikai... we shall be separated forever..."_

"When... is the conclusion...?" I asked myself. I hovered down to the palace and walked to the hole where Hollow Ichigo was struggling to rise out of. My hand formed a sword as I walked to where he was struggling to pull himself out. I could sense his Reiatsu.

Diminished. He was weakened beyond comparison.

"Sekkiseki inhibits the flow of Reiatsu. If made surrounding an object, it creates a barrier around that object, and a membrane limits Reiatsu from entering an leaving. But, if transported continuously, it links to nearby sekkiseki 'molecules' and creates a field thus... and effectively blocks all Reiatsu from strengthening your body. You couldn't even summon a Bala if you wanted."

Hollow Ichigo only tried to raise his body from the crater. His regeneration failed to heal his wounds, leaving him crying his crimson tears.

I heard a shattering noise to my left. I noticed that Anson had finally broken free of the diamond, and now treated the bulb in his chest. A few drops of blood spilled out as Anson initiated the Healing Kidō. Likewise, Claire had collapsed to the ground, having finally been released from her time-pause. She looked up with a pale face.

"The Reiatsu..." she said. A bright sheen enveloped the duo as Anson waved a hand across the air and walked forward.

"You look like Hyōrinmaru having gone to a sauna," Anson said.

"I thought the exact same thing..." I said. I turned back to Hollow Ichigo, whom I noticed to have something gripped in his hand. I kicked the Medallion out of it and effortlessly picked him up and sent him crashing into another pillar. "God, I wonder how many of those things has he eaten so far?"

"I need to explain something," Anson said. "You will go back to your world." He walked up to Hollow Ichigo and set the blade of his Bankai before the Hollow. "Kai... words cannot express my gratitude... and the apologies won't accept the sacrifice you made."

"Don't remind me," I said softly. "She... she wanted it to come to this."

"I will return her to you," Anson said. He then turned to Hollow Ichigo and sunk his blade into the Hollow's leg. Hollow Ichigo screamed out and spouted curses at Anson, the first words he had spoke since I threw him out of the hole.

"You... bastard Raynes... Using something like the Final Getsuga Tenshō on me..."

"You shoulda known," Anson said vehemently, digging the blade into Hollow Ichigo's leg. "This was for blowing up Seireitei..." Anson yanked the blade out, allowing a fountain of blood to spurt out. The curses streamed out through bared teeth. Anson then lifted a finger and burned a hole in Hollow Ichigo's shoulder with Kidō. "For bringing Kai from his timeline..." Anson finally raised Jikan-Tekina Munashii and opened up a portal, which a thousand arms tugged Hollow Ichigo inside. His screams were lost in the darkness, and the portal collapsed on itself.

Anson sighed. "And the Asauchi will punish you for killing Claire." He breathed heavily as the portal was brought out again and spat out a sword. It was completely white, with serrated edges and a guard that resembled a Hollow's mask. Hollow Ichigo's mask. "And comes the final ceremony," Anson said. He looked at me. "Kai. I want you to seal your Zettaikai."

I looked back with surprised eyes. "If I seal it..."

Anson turned back to face Claire. "This... is our final goodbye." He walked over to her and placed his free hand on her corresponding shoulder. "I have finished what I was decreed. I was able to change the world to better accommodate life. I trained a Shinigami the final technique whom achieved victory against the strongest Hollow in the history of Shinigami. I only wished we could stay."

Claire's eyes glistened with tears. "I knew you couldn't forget the other me," she said. "I guess I'm just not the same, having known you came from a different timeline. I... I wonder how many times you had jumped in the past." Anson only smiled as the world seemed to suck itself from between us. I was standing on invisible air, and only me, Claire, Anson, and the Soul King were the visible entities of this vast darkness.

"And Soul King," Anson said, looking at the mass encased in crystal. "You're a horrible God. A God requires no sleep. Even in the other timelines... you were a fuckin' dick to me." Anson raised a hand. "_Shinu_," he said merely, and many colored beams sprang forth from the finger, piercing through the Soul King's chest. I gasped as the figure cried a bloodcurdling cry, and my vision blacked out.

* * *

><p>I woke up, hazy-eyed, staring at a clear blue sky. The sound of waves echoed in my ears. I was lying on a stone island, weathered smooth by the sea's waves.<p>

"This... is the only stable dimension you were able to enter," said Anson's voice.

"My inner world," I said. I noticed I couldn't feel the water molecules from the sea, nor from the air. "What..."

"Your Zettaikai sealed itself to form this world," Anson said. "The Ōken Zanpakutō I had managed to salvage from Reality... it contained the Hōgyoku's powers. The Hōgyoku, if I can call it a living object, decreed that you keep your Shinigami powers; it disappeared and channeled its own power into stabilizing your body."

I turned back to the sky. "Well, so much for a hell of a deus ex machina," I said jokingly. "That thing doesn't make the least bit of sense to me." I finally turned to him and noticed his garb. "What happened to you?" I asked.

His shihakusho was completely white. His Reiatsu was shimmering and peeling off of his body and clothes, while some of the lights seemed to pour into him. It was awesome to behold; my eyes were entranced by the nobility of his form. Anson looked down at his own forming and deforming self. "This... is my Zettaikai. The technique of Zettaikai is making you act as your Zanpakutō. Like how you become an entity that control all water... my Zettaikai allows me to manipulate the Timeline itself."

Anson said Timeline as though it were a living thing.

"This is also the reason why I had to bring you with me in order to send you back. The Zettaikai may only be used for so long, and I wouldn't have been able to delete Hollow Ichigo if I sent you back beforehand." He pulled out his Bankai blade, which he plunged into the ground. I expected some epic sight to behold, but nothing happened.

"You have one last thing to fulfill in this timeline," Anson said solemnly. "You wish... for Shionari to return to you, right?"

I looked at him with teary eyes and felt my head nod once. Anson chuckled as he brought out the Vandenreich Medallion from in his sleeve. "I will perform Bakudo 109," Anson said. "And as I finish the spell, you shall enter the Medallion by stabbing your Zanpakutō into the middle of it; this forms your inner world into the Medallion's prison world. You will infuse your Shinigami power into the entity of Shionari... and use Jikan-Tekina Munashii to ultimately return to your timeline."

"Like a command block sort of thing in Minecraft," I said.

"Perhaps like that," Anson said. He set the Medallion between his thumbs and index fingers and held them forward at me. I drew my Zanpakutō as he started the incantation.

"Wheels of dawn, gears of night. Two souls to be intertwined. Allow two to meld into a single body once more... Bakudo 109, _Kachinari Retsu_."

I plunged my sword into the Medallion, which split into two pieces and spaced out a few feet in width. Anson stepped back as a string of words trailed from his mouth, and a frame connected the pieces of the Medallion. His last chant ended with "Shionari" and the frame glowed light-blue before showing a foggy landscape beyond its threshold.

"And so here we part," Anson said as he walked from behind the portal with his trademark grin, turning to fully face me. "I wish you the best of luck..." He bowed and twisted his right hand in front of his sternum.

"Captain."

I was unable to ask what he meant as he shone as bright as the sun, and seemingly disappeared. I shielded my eyes as a deafening roar sounded in my ears. It was over in an instant, and Anson was gone.

I was now alone, except for the portal and Jikan-Tekina Munashii's blade, which was bathed in a sky-blue light that crept up into the heavens. I stole a look at my inner world before walking through the portal and into the fog.


	41. 40: Endscape 3

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Part V: Misplaced Timeline Arc**

**Chapter 40: Endscape, Part Three**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

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><p>I would have greatly appreciated if someone could tell me a way to get rid of the fog. My vision was reduced to a maximum of three feet around me, and trying to follow the winded path was starting to frighten me. I had already modified a Shakkaho Kidō to be something like a flashlight, but released it to see how deep the chasm was. It was then I figured I wasn't standing on a ledge, but rather on a floating pathway. I couldn't see the bottom, and I watched the dim red light sail into the darkness for minutes. I cast another flashlight before moving on, taking cautious steps in case I met with an edge.<p>

After about five minutes or so of wandering, I noticed that the stone had turned into a darker slate-gray color, from it's original light gray. I sent the modified Shakkaho forward, and it dissipated against a flight of stairs that widened as it climbed up. Knowing the path was straight, I ran toward the stairs and skipped every other step to hasten my ascent.

"_Who..."_

"Shionari...?" I stopped as I heard someone's voice. From just listening to the word, it was much too stern of a voice to belong to her, but my mind recognized the pitch and tone to be Shionari's. I slowly started walking again, pausing as the voice called out again.

"_Who is there?"_

I ignored replying as I instead shunpo'ed my way up to the top. The fog was still strong, but I noticed a figure standing a ways off before me. Some of the clouds graciously rolled away, and I saw the blurred silhouette of Hyōrinmaru.

"I do not..." Hyōrinmaru was saying. His voice was greatly peculiar, as if it were his voice mixed with Shionari's. "I do not... I do not know..."

"What is it you do not know?" I asked on impulse. I was answered by a howling wind, causing me to shield my face from the loose dust it picked up. It seemed also strong enough to sweep away all of the fog. I looked behind me to see the winding path that I had taken. Now looking forward, I noticed that the figure of Shionari was staring at the radiance of the full moon. "Shionari...?"

"I know what I am... a Zanpakutō... but I... I do not know my master's name... nor my own." She turned to face me, and I could recognize the empty look in her eyes. Though her face did not show it, I knew she had been crying. I felt like tearing up myself as I forced out an answer.

"Shionari..." I said. "Your name is Shionari! Do you remember who I am?" I realized what I had asked, and regretted doing so. I knew what her answer would be, and it made me cringe all the more when she replied.

"Who... are you? You're not my master... I cannot recall even meeting you in my past..."

"Shionari... we fought alongside each other... Shikai and Bankai... I even managed to use the Zettaikai! Don't you remember any of this? Has... has that Medallion done something to you?"

Shionari raised her right claw and summoned her Zanpakutō. "Explain to me why... I can't believe a word you have spoken. To be able to control something as vast as the atmosphere... only an experienced one may handle my power. Enough with this nonsense... if you cannot tell me where my master is, you're only in my way!"

"And I am that master!" I cried out.

"You say you know who I am..." Shionari said, "and you say that you are my master... prove to me that you are the one who has wielded my power!" Shionari disappeared, leaving a trail of water toward the left.

This tactic was one I knew all too well! It was a standard feint, something a fighter always forgot. The psychological approach was to leave a path for the defender to follow, and the attacker would be attacking from elsewhere. It was just during Zettaikai training... Shionari would occasionally leave a trail of bubbles toward the side and attack as if she approached me from the opposite side. When I had caught on to the tactic, she would attack from the bubble trail. It caused great confusion at first, but it became a fifty-fifty chance to block or be hit... but the feint would be a complete failure if I moved over the trail.

I shunpo'ed over to the trail, which Shionari materialized from beneath me with a surprised expression. Disrupting the illusion caused her to appear, no matter where she would be. I spun around to block her blade with an underhand stance. I released my left hand from the hilt and aimed my palm at her. "_Shakkaho_!" The red blast, though greatly decreased in power, engulfed us in a grand cloud of smoke. I shunpo'ed out of the Kidō blast and waited for Shionari's attack. She burst out from the cloud with her sword raised to her side. I guess she saw that I was familiar with the attack, yet decided it wasn't enough for her to believe me.

Her claws touched the ground and she ducked low to hit me. I swung my blade downward to counter her uppercut, and I used the upward inertia to backflip a small distance away. I settled in my starting battle stance, knees slightly bent with my left foot forward, my sword arm raised in a right-angle above my head with the sword tilted down at a shallow angle. My free hand was held in front of me to keep my balance. At my current location, I could barely see Jikan-Tekina Munashii's light through the clouds.

Wait... was Shionari standing in the exact same position?

We both leapt toward each other at the same time, both of our swords held out in the same lunging position. As we neared one another, I curved my blade into the air while Shionari prepared for an upward strike. Our blades scraped against the other as we carried that momentum to culminate into another strike. From the way we were fighting, I could see that my right-hand tactics were of the exact same movements of Shionari's own right hand, while my overhand tactics were her underhand movements. I blocked a sideways sweep and redirected her blade away, and then used an Enkōsen to block her blade when she spun around for her counterattack. I released the energy from the Enkōsen to unleash another Kidō.

"Bakudo Sixty-three, _Sajō Sabaku_!"

Yellow chains burst forth from my palm and wrapped themselves around Shionari. I took the opportunity to drive my sword into her, my blade engulfed in a white sheen from the preparation of the transfer of Shinigami powers. A torrent of water gushed from the ground around Shionari, knocking my blade away. Another wall of water burst directly under my feet. I jumped away as I heard a shrill roar from over the sound of the water waves. The liquid walls sank to the ground and Shionari stood before me with her Zanpakutō to the side, the Sajō Sabaku ropes replaced with the Shikai form of her Zanpakutō.

"Do you recall anything at all?" I called. "Even after releasing Shikai?"

Shionari's eyes steeled. She was obviously wary of my intentions... I couldn't help it. She slowly turned her head from side to side.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, and I left my words out of earshot. I raised my Zanpakutō in front of me, but Shionari's Shikai had already closed the distance between me and Shionari. I hid my frustration and immediately braced myself and cast Hadō One, _Shō_, to push the Shikai away. Some water droplets shied off of the Shikai form as the main mass reconstituted itself. I took that window of opportunity to shunpo toward Shionari's position and attempt another transfer of Shinigami powers. Rather, the Shikai form had thrown me off course and I followed its pathing using a clutch-timed Dankū. The barrier, as always, dispersed Kidō based attacks and was doing the same to Shikai Shionari at this moment. Leaving one hand to support the Dankū barrier, I used the free hand to cast Sōkatsui to burst the Shikai form to reconstitute itself later. The droplets retreated back to their source and began reforming the Shikai. I returned to the island with a shunpo off of a self-formed Reishi panel.

"Surely some memories have resurfaced," I said.

Shionari slowly shook her head. "Yet, does any of that matter?"

"Then I guess, only to me." I raised my Zanpakutō into the air. I quickly brought up my free hand and cast four Dankū barriers around myself as I saw the Shikai Shionari dive toward me. "And so in that case, I may as well bring the two of us on the same page.

"Open the floodgates of Heaven and Earth... _Shionari_!"

The grand release was nothing of what I had expected. Lightning flashed overhead as the clouds almost immediately became dark. A light drizzle poured down on the island. Waters seemed to pile up to the island, as if easily filling the void of the floating island. My own Shikai Shionari formed itself behind me, curling around me in a defensive pose but roared menacingly at its clone.

"You... can summon my power?" Shionari was obviously distressed. I only smirked and prepared a dive.

"Deluge," I ordered, "Shionari!" My Shikai Shionari roared once and washed over me as I dove toward Shionari, whom was still in shock at my more advanced Shikai release. As I neared her, the opposing Shikai Shionari raced ahead to try and defend its awestruck master, only to be swallowed and added to the mass of my Shikai Shionari. The large water dragon swallowed Shionari and suspended her inside its aqueous form. "What more do you need me to reveal?!" I demanded her. "Of all people, why did Fate have to try to rip you away from me?! What more does it take for me to bring you back?!

"Why... why did you forget me?!" I saw her eyes dilate as I channeled power into my Zanpakutō, which should have been without its blade in Shikai form, and prepared to drive it where Shionari's Hakusui would be.

"K-Kai... So... crius..."

Behind gritted teeth and with tears streaming out from my eyes, I plunged my Zanpakutō into her chest.

The Shikai Shionari roared a final roar, as if signaling the completion of my objective.

* * *

><p>The time I seemed to wait felt like an eternity of memories. In that eternity was only two years, all of them was the life I spent ever since I arrived in Soul Society. Ever since the first Hollow attack when I was hauling water, to the invasion of the Skink Hollow, and following that river to Seireitei. I slept near that flowing river at peace, not once thinking about a sudden Hollow attack during my slumber.<p>

The voices started to surface during my entrance into Seireitei and Shino Academy. That one year of school made me aware that I was not alone despite not knowing many people's names. I felt as though there was someone always watching me, always guarding me, and was some figure on the same plane of existence as I was. And she appeared before me after a year and a half of my time in Soul Society.

"_Rage, Shionari!"_

The old release command. My power was greatly decreased during those times, yet easily handled my adversaries. Thinking back, I should have communicated with Shionari more and found my own way around the absorbing of Hollow Reiryoku predicament. Yet thinking back again, it showed how similar we were, two beings incompatible with our own mediums. We hated having one another for such a foreign experience, yet consoled each other because we were inseparable since. We had molded each other into what we had become.

With the appearance of Anson Raynes, my reality resurfaced. I was not a Japanese-speaking soul, and assimilated being that was transformed by the culture through which the Soul King had preference. Through the Captain's Bankai, I discovered Shionari's true nature; a caring and gentle person rather than the boastful and all-important protector I imagined her to originally be. Training Bankai was an entirely different experience; we talked as we grew stronger together. We met and surpassed our limits together. We achieved the final release that was usually so hard to discover alone.

Next, we laid eyes upon a grand battlefield with me riding atop her form. In assisting Anson to defeat an enemy that had contempt for Seireitei and vandalized its hierarchical standing. We faced the individual's subordinates, while still being a junior within the ranks of the Shinigami. Instead of fighting amongst the ranks of lower seated Shinigami, I was hand-picked for an invasion against a king. And even though Shionari and I faced the lowest of the personal guard, we faced a Vasto Lorde. He seemed to be of my equal, until I had used the downpour of the Bankai's waters to finish him and became my own downfall. In the end, it was my Zanpakutō whom saved my life and easily slayed the enemy. And after that battle was our supposed last battle where I had finally cast orders to a group that fought against one. He was eventually overpowered in the final one-versus-one, but dragged me along with my mentor into a different timeline.

The particular event caused Shionari to hold an intense grudge against Anson, but somehow deepened our relationship between Shinigami and Zanpakutō, a relationship that I had always striven to avoid. With a final festivity as our potential final time together, I was to unlock the secret of the Zanpakutō; the strongest form that which through sealing it also meant sealing my Shinigami powers. After a final mourning, I had told her of my grand predicament... yet she had yet to tell me hers. I allowed her to be closer than I was ever close to any of my previous, however scarce, female friends. And with that culmination, we fought against our strongest adversary when Anson became incapacitated. Shionari caused her own grand sacrifice to further protect me and had told me, through her actions, to save myself at her expense. We toppled that foe, but it was Anson who was to deal the finishing blow... and later gave me the final chance to reclaim my one irreplaceable partner.

And... I had done so.

"Kai?"

Shionari finally spoke my name clearly. Her voice was soft, as if she were bashing herself again. I spoke my mind out to her.

"It's just... I'm ashamed for forgetting."

I told her that it wasn't her fault.

I was lying on her lap with one of her hands on my head. I was tired beyond measure; nothing I had done, even topped against one after another, showed my tiredness. I had given almost my all in the last few fights, experienced the immense drop in Reiryoku from Zettaikai to a sealed Shikai form, and battled against the horrible psychological pain of my indispensable partner forgetting my being. The relief that surged through me was a calming feeling.

"I need a coffee," I said half-truthfully. I originally intended it to be a joke, but I seriously needed one. I couldn't feel my legs at all.

"I'll be sure to ask one of the Sixth Division members to make one for you when we return," Shionari promised.

I smiled at her response. I moved my head side to side, inspecting our surroundings. "We haven't moved from where we fought?"

"No."

"Then this place..."

"Completely dry," Shionari said solemnly. "I was slowly dying. With no water around... my soul hurts to the point of no description. I was glad you came..."

"Does that mean I saved you for the countless times you saved me?"

"I'll give you credit for doing so," Shionari laughed. A tear leaked from her eye and landed on my forehead. She wiped it away a moment later.

"You never explained what words your father spoke to you as he died." I was overcome with curiosity, and it didn't seem as though we were going anywhere. Shionari stayed silent for a time. "I didn't want to force it from you."

"He told me..." Shionari stated, "not to 'make the same mistake he did'. At first, I thought he meant to not love a human... which I was almost unable to." I had no comments on whether she meant the one she had met in her past... or me. "However, I had time to think. I thought of his words. His mistake wasn't loving a human; his mistake was not keeping the conviction of wanting to stay me and surviving whilst fighting." She smiled another soft smile and another tear dripped onto my forehead. "I kept that thought in my head for who knew how long."

"It isn't a thing I would like to venture," I said finally. "What if something like this happens and you are truly taken away?"

"Then I shall keep you alive until you find that right person." I especially didn't have high hopes that it would be her.

"In that case, we should return home." I pointed at Jikan-Tekina Munashii's blade standing by its lonesome at an island only a stone's throw away. Shionari helped me up and slung my arm over her shoulder and held me by my arm. We walked in unison toward the shining blade, and we each put a hand on the pommel of the katana.

"Jikan-Tekina Munashii," I said. "I have completed my mission. Find your master within the Timeline... and I hope we meet again. Send us home." The blade brimmed with power as I found the strength to stand without Shionari's aid. I looked at my Zanpakutō one last time; she nodded and settled into her sealed Zanpakutō form, and I placed her in the sheath that had virtually always been slung at my side.

* * *

><p>The world finally came into view.<p>

I felt the rising feeling of manipulated time and distorted space disappear from my body, and my vision returned to me like a rising curtain. It was not Anson's timeline, where the Japanese buildings resembled modernized architecture, but the traditional shale roofing and dull plaster walls. Sōkyoku Hill, where I had materialized, was not a blossoming garden; still only a fruitless mesa.

_Brandon and Rosche are coming,_ Shionari told me.

"I sense them too," I replied. I lied, obviously. I could see them jumping from roof to roof from the Fifth Division Barracks.

"Kai!" I heard Brandon's voice first. "You're finally back! What took you?!"

"It's been over a week since you disappeared from Muken!" Rosche said, landing a few feet in front of me. I flinched as she waved a finger in my face, thinking she would start repeatedly poking my forehead for worrying her. Worrying her, what the hell?

"You're starting to act like my mother," I hinted. I was awarded with a fist toward the face, but for some strange reason, I was able to not only block the fist, but catch it and twist my arm and grab Rosche's wrist. "Sorry," I said as I realized what I had done and released my grip on her. "That week in Anson's timeline... it was one of the most tensest moments in my life."

"Double superlative," Brandon said softly. I looked at him with a confused face. "'Most tensest'," he said. "Two 'boosting' words. Rosche is remedying my grammar... for who knows what reason."

Rosche grasped her arm back, slightly embarrassed. "Anyways, what happened to that Anson?"

I sighed as I looked into the sky. "I'm guessing... he'll enter Soul Society after fifty more years. On top of that matter, we no longer have a Fifth Captain..."

"You're going to be interrogated to submission to explain for his disappearance!" Brandon called, which sent chills down my spine. After all I had been through, I was not looking forward to being interrogated.

Even so, I found myself smiling a while later. I unsheathed my Zanpakutō and stabbed it into the ground in front of me. Explaining what I had gone through may become another reminisce of what may have been the most important time in my afterlife.

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><p><strong>And may this story finally come to its end.<strong>


	42. EAN: End Author's Notes

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids**

**End Author's Notes**

****This chapter is outside the plot-line of the FF, therefore characters may be OOC, and I am taking place as an insert character... or a character that has ascended above all characters since I'm actually the writer. Thanks, information sources, and other randomness is displayed below this line.****

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><p>Kai removed his shihakusho and donned his signature blue puffer vest before assuming his place behind his desk and computer. The characters of the Bleach univers poured into the room, and after more than ten of these characters entered, Kai reared back from his desk. "Oh, shit, I think we need more room..." With the pressing of a few keys of the keyboard, the room shifted from a normal office to a large auditorium, complete with movie chair seats.<p>

"Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni..." Kai read off the list of the names included in the Bleach: Waves and Rapids fic. "Soi Fon... Marechiyo Omaeda..." He continued down the list and looked up. "All characters that were not named shall leave the auditorium." Kai stared warily in the beams that supported the roof. "Keigo, I can see you."

"I wanna stay!" he cried out, a outrageous amount of tears flowing out of his eyes.

"Denied," Kai answered, and Keigo was blasted from the rooftops and out of the auditorium. "With the Copyrighted Characters of the Bleach universe present... may the _other_ twenty-two Outside Characters enter..." The individuals, Shinigami, Zanpakutō, and Hollows entered the auditorium and chose their seats. The Messengers, with the exception of Sy, took the place near Hollow Ichigo, while Sy followed Anson among the Gotei.

"A Hollow in an alliance with the Gotei..." Yamamoto scowled.

"Peace," Unohana chided. Yamamoto returned his gaze forward.

"Kai!" I noticed Shionari standing in the front row. "What're you doing up there?!"

"Shionari," I said, "I'm the writer of this fanfiction, in case you haven't noticed." I facepalmed as Shionari made a pouting face as she sat herself down. With everyone settled, I produced a large packet of papers: the manuscript of Bleach: Waves and Rapids. "Finally, let's give the thanks and stuff and I can move on to other projects!"

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong>

I have posted this Disclaimer on the tops of the FF's. If you have not read any of it, it is repeated here:** I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These ORIGINAL characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only. **These Copyrighted Characters are the property of Tite Kubo. I also do not own terms such as "Reading Steiner [Steins;Gate]"; these terms belong to their rightful owners. In all, this story is the property of Kai with the exception of the Copyrighted Characters.

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><p><strong>Special Thanks:<strong>

1)** Ammonites**: First Reviewee; and has stuck with me since the beginning. We reviewed each others stories, and gave ideas. Thanks for allowing me the use of your character, Tamotsu Toshiyuki, but I hadn't the scenario for him to appear. Thank you very much mate, and happy writing.

2) **HibiscusAngel15**: AKA Rosche Hibiscus in the fic; thanks for your extra long reviews. IRL friend OP.

3)** HMMaster**: AKA Tsubasa Daichi; review Beta reader. Hope you stuck around longer, but I know you have other things to do. Thanks for reviewing some parts and introducing the "gary-stu" predicament. But yes, Kai is still a "Gary-Stu" (Anson is the larger one).

4) **Anson**: AKA Anson Raynes; my brother (sadly, our last name is not Raynes), with unposted reviews. Always wanting me to write the next chapter to see how OP I can make him. He enjoyed all of the parts where fic-Anson trolls the ** out of every other character.

5) **All You Other Reviewers/Readers/Story Alerter's/and Favorite Story-ers**- You have not been forgotten! I may have not sent you a PM regarding your Alert/Favorite/or rarely the review, but I apologize for the lack of communication. I still thank you for sending it this kind of praise. Not many people read Original Character work, especially if any main characters aren't part of the forward plot (well, Ichigo and Rukia had _some _part in it).

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><p><strong>Other Stuff That Helped:<strong>

1) League of Legends: Ahh, the League of Draven- err, Legends. Wonderful tool in stress relief. And, helped me with a backstory or two ;)

2) Bleach Wikia: Hellooooooo all you Kidō spells, character bios, and other stuff that I won't list. Standard; go to wikia if you forgot something/don't know something.

3) Minecraft: I once had an urge to make Seireitei. It ended up as a standard stress reliever. Thanks Mojang.

4) Various OST tracks: Shoutout to Shinji Orito for Clannad OST: Shionari, the namesake of my Zanpakutō. And shoutout to Yuki Kajiura for awesome Sword Art Online OSTs. Thanks, and keep making great music.

5) Fanfiction-dot-net: Post this story somewhere, of course!

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><p>Kai laid the packet on the desk. "And now, for the final plot twist to this entire story..."<p>

Anson shot up from his seat, raised an arm straight into the air and shouted at the top of his lungs. "I AM THE ACTUAL MAIN CHARACTER!"

*cue blackout*

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading.<strong>


	43. Epilogue: Fifty Years

**Bleach: Waves and Rapids **

**Epilogue: Fifty Years**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.**

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><p>The interrogation, actually, wasn't that bad. I didn't have to explain much in detail, save for Anson's intentions and the execution of his plan. Head Captain Yamamoto was intrigued that the Soul King wished to execute my existence in that timeline. He also wanted more details regarding Anson's research in the removal of the Hōgyoku from Aizen's body, but I had merely apologized and that this timeline's affairs had slipped my mind. Yamamoto then droned on about how to find another worthy Captain and mumbled endlessly to himself. Before long, he glanced at me.<p>

And I was out.

And fifty years... was a long time. There were way too many things to keep track of ever since that time jump.

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><p>"Captain!"<p>

I looked up from the new computer I had brought with me from the World of the Living to see a newly seated Shinigami burst through the doors, panting heavily. "Take a breather before telling me what happened," I said.

He straightened his back and took several deep breaths. "Hollows," he finally said, "at Rukongai Sixty-Three East. They've surrounded a house. Some Kidō corps members had gone ahead to assess the problem, but we haven't heard from them since the earthquake."

I dragged the mouse down to the time; it was the fifth of February, almost exactly fifty years since returning from that timeline. That brought back meaningful memories. I got up and retrieved Shionari's Zanpakutō from the closet, along with a Captain's haori and slung that over my shoulders. "It's been some time since I've had a time with Hollows," I said softly. Then again, I was still immensely bored with them. After fighting the full-fledged Hollow Ichigo with Zettaikai, the other Hollows, even those of the Adjuchas class, seemed like small fry. "Those Hollows are trying to eat something, a potential Plus at that," I said. "Outfit me with the limiter. I want to cause the least amount of damage there as possible..." I paused. "And also because the place holds special memories."

The rookie Shinigami paused as he pursed his lips before placing his hands over the back of my left hand and cast the power-limiting Bakudo spell. I felt something like a cord wrap around my arm as the insignia of the Lily of the Valley appeared in something like black ink on my hand. I smiled as I pat the Shinigami on the head before walking out of the office and barracks, allowing the Fifth Division haori to sail behind me. I headed toward the Shōryūmon, where a few Onmitsukidō members shunpo'ed beside me. "What happened to you working under Captain Soi Fon?" I asked one.

"These were our orders. We are to secure the extraction of the Plus. We shall accompany you to the site."

"More like the Second Captain is anxious to allow me to keep going alone," I grinned. "You think she'll have you guys apprehend me if I accidentally do too much collateral damage?" The Onmitsukidō member said nothing as I headed out of Seireitei with a number of Shunpo steps.

I was not in the least surprised that the Onmitsukidō members could keep up with my speed. Nonetheless, the decrease in my speed meant the limiter was working. I paused for a second as I admired the scenery from when I first walked from Rukongai Sixty-Eight East to Seireitei. I sucked in the crisp air and resumed my journey.

_Do you think..._ Shionari asked. I knew what she was going to say.

"I'm sure. This explains his parting words to me. Shionari's mind seemed to waver, as if she wasn't looking forward to our reunion. "Just remember what he had done for us."

_Anson Raynes._

"Of course." We had crossed through Rukongai Thirty in a minute. "This whole Shunpo across the map is a pain," I said.

Nearing Rukongai Sixty, I could sense the Hollows' Reiatsu. Their hulking forms were surrounding the single building, which I had refurbished with a few of the Fifth Division's funds. Yamamoto seemed to have no qualms about it, and having that decision be one of the Captain's meant the Division was to stay silent about their resulting complaints. I didn't mind even if they said something; it was a personal thing, and I wasn't feeling guilty using a collected fund to tend to the problem.

I focused back on the task at hand and saw the Hollows with my own eyes. They were the same hulking monsters on the outside, but my presence seemed to draw them away from the building. The Onmitsukidō members were already engaged in the fight, and their backflips and other Hakuda techniques dealt with the smaller fry efficiently. The Adjuchas Hollows however, which were about fifteen in number, only greeted me with roars about 'their food'.

"Too bad," I said to them, even though they wouldn't hear me, "but the one you're trying to eat isn't an available selection on the menu. Not that any soul is." I raised Shionari and released her Shikai. The river across from the beaten dirt path rumbled as Shionari's aqueous serpent burst forth and swept a few of the Hollows off of their walking appendages. A couple of them disintegrated to the stress of the water. I managed a new technique that included absorbing Hollow Reiatsu and immediately releasing it to cause a corrosion technique.

Some of the Hollows dove into the house to escape the water. As one Hollow entered the house, an arm seemed to be cut off as another Hollow was thrown out, already half-disintegrated. I dashed to a nearby Onmitsukidō member and demanded, "Anyone enter the building?!"

"There was no signature coming from the building..." A Hollow screamed out as an angry aura radiated from inside the building. "No... the Plus is able to defend himself."

I left the Onmitsukidō member and dove into the house while flanked by two Onmitsukidō members. The house's interior was greatly battered, and the walls and floor were dashed with Hollow blood. There were sounds coming from the cellar; I identified them as Hollow screams, a person yelling battle cries, and the swinging of a sword. "Hadō Thirty-One, _Shakkaho_!" I fired the spell at the floor, splintering through the wood and revealing the spacious bottom floor. I leapt down the hole to barely lock my blade with the claws of a Hollow that looked like a mutated armadillo of sorts. I pushed the Hollow back before lifting a finger and killing it with a Byakurai.

I wheeled around to see a small kid, maybe thirteen or fourteen years old in human years, fighting against a Hollow that looked like a praying mantis. Behind him was a fallen girl, a bloody gash across her forehead. I could tell the wound wasn't deep, but I knew she had to be moved. I sealed Shionari and ran toward the two youths, but several Hollows barred passage. "The leader wants a soul!" they hissed.

"And filth such as you should stay away from Rukongai," I answered, and I proceeded to cut them down one at a time. I turned my attention to the boy whom stood his ground against the Mantis Hollow.

Anson was definitely on the defensive right now. His actions were clumsy, though his sword handling was exemplary to see. His swings were far too wide, but he was able to fend off the Mantis's attacks with a well formed stance. I imagined that if this Anson had the perception and timing of Jikan no Uranaishi, he would easily be done with the Hollow, even if it were an Adjuchas.

I cut a large Hollow in two and turned my head to watch Anson, but I was thrown against a wall as something hit me from the side like a truck. I was stunned for only a second, but the bull-like Hollow bellowed as it lowered for another charge. I braced myself against the next impact, sacrificing the temporary pain to slay that Hollow. I had never fought a large group of Hollows with a limiter placed on me, but the damage I had already dealt called for more rebuilding.

The bull then stopped. It gave a pitiful 'moo' as it disintegrated into black dust. I expected that an Onmitsukidō had killed it, but the Mantis Hollow stood over its fleeting remains. It took bites out of several more Hollows, and the black Reikyū poured into the Hollow's Hollow Hole. The temperature drastically increased as the Hollow bulged in size. "Anson!" I called, "get away! It's progressing!" Anson looked at me before turning back at Claire. When he stood his ground, I cursed as I dashed over to Anson and erected a Dankū barrier before me.

"We'll secure the Pluses!" Onmitsukidō members called from the hole.

"You idiots!" I shouted back.

The Mantis Hollow roared once more and imploded. Green Reiatsu exploded outward, though the masses were redirected when they collided with the Dankū barrier. The Onmitsukidō members were not so unfortunate. They were splattered by the venomous energy from head to toe, effectively paralyzed or incapacitated in some way. I only knew they would be fine because their souls refused to burst into Reikyū.

A claw burst through the Dankū barrier and pummeled me into the wall. I grit my teeth as the stone seemed to trap my body. I seemed unable to channel Reiryoku, since my arms failed to break free from the earthen prison. "I... am Guillotine..." said a raspy voice. The Vasto Lorde stood about six feet tall, his claws like gloves on his hands. Its whole body was a forest green color, except for the lime-green, translucent wings on its back. A full-faced helmet covered its face, and it was connected to its "exoskeleton". "Limb from limb..." he mused.

"Shouldn't it be something like 'their heads must roll'?" I asked jokingly. I found it near impossible to get out. Shionari would have materialized and given me a hand already.

"I would say nothing if I were you, Shinigami," the newly spawned Vasto Lorde called. Its antennae twitched as it redirected its gaze at Anson and Claire. "Now... where was I..." The Hollow disappeared with the sound like a thud of bass noise. I tracked its movement to behind Anson, but my voice wasn't able to reach him in time. A stream of blood erupted from Anson's shoulder; a shallow cut, though serious. It was a good thing the Hollow was playing around with him first...

Anson had screamed out in pain. The Hollow then plucked Anson from the ground by hanging part of Anson's tunic on its claw. Claire rose from the ground and called out Anson's name. She ran forward in an effort to make the Hollow drop Anson. The Hollow merely looked at the young girl pulling at its elbow and swung the girl into me. I braced for her impact, but the sword at Anson's feet shone briefly before zooming into Claire's hands. The shining blade elongated in Claire's hands, resembling the Shikai form of Waishou Sanwaon.

"_Once every existence... I am borne to the partner of the one whom rules time..."_

Fifty years had passed since I last seen the blade-staff. Air had become a liquid to catch Claire and prevent further damage to her.

I glanced back at the Hollow, its arm that was holding Anson was now a discolored claw; frozen. The rocks that had held me trapped were ripped away and I fell to the ground. The rock then collided into the Hollow's frozen arm, smashing the appendage into pieces. Anson fell to the ground and picked up the other shining blade.

Wait, were there two blades?

"_Once every timeline... I am borne to the partner of the one who commands creation..."_

As the blade touched Anson's hand, the whole sword became invisible, save the faint blue lights flying off where its blade would have been. The Mantis Lorde retreated as it inspected the stub that had been its left claw. It growled in anger as it dashed forward. I prepared to intercept the Hollow, but I felt Shionari stop me. _This was your doing?! _I hissed telepathically.

_I merely wanted the spur of the moment to unlock their power,_ Shionari replied. _I could feel that the Zanpakutō had awakened, but merely needed its master to call upon its power._

_It split in two?_

_I believe... it was the will of the Hōgyoku. Otherwise, it was the Zanpakutō's rationale that awakening to one master would result in a influx of power that would destroy the unrefined Reiatsu of its master and his partner._

_Damn, that deus ex machina._

_I have no say in what other Zanpakutō think._

Anson had raised Jikan no Uranaishi and turned the whole blade ninety-degrees to the left, and the Mantis Hollow seemed to be hit with mosaic before halting in mid-air. Claire jumped in front of Anson, and the Hollow was encased in a thin layer of ice with a flick of the blade-staff. Anson then jumped over Claire and smashed the semi-invisible blade into the Mantis Lorde's midsection and the Hollow was broken into pieces. The various ice fragments leaked black Reikyū which seeped through the wooden ceiling.

I finally approached the young Anson and Claire. They turned around as I came near them, and Anson grinned at me, despite his bloodstained self. "Great work..." I started, and Anson started to fall. I dashed forward to catch him and Claire as she too began to lose her balance. Shionari's Shikai form came from through the rock wall behind me and washed over the two.

_I'll bring them back to Seireitei,_ she said.

"No problem." I walked over to the fallen Onmitsukidō members and cast a large-range healing Kidō, bathing the group in a green light. A few of them stirred, and one rose to his knees.

"I apologize, Taichō."

"Tell Soi Fon the mission was a success," I ordered. "We lost two men to the Vasto Lorde." I watched the Onmitsukidō members gather themselves together and prepare to leave. I jumped through the hole in the roof and walked through the shambled house. Shionari was carrying the Anson and Claire along the path; she was waiting for me to leave. "Let's go," I told Shionari, mounting upon her aqueous body. She turned her head forward and streamed away, with the Onmitsukidō following close behind.

* * *

><p>I walked through the Barracks of the First Division with my primary knowledge to the Captain's Meeting Room. Afterward, I turned left based off of memory from fifty years ago. Nostalgia gripped me as I walked through the dormitory halls. After a sharp left, I had located Room 01-017. It was this room that I had stayed in during my inclusion of Anson's timeline. I parted from the door and continued down the hall to the Head Captain's office. I knocked on the double doors before entering. Sunlight poured from the open balcony.<p>

"...and this adjourns the meeting," Yamamoto was saying. "Until next time." I saw as Captains Byakuya Kuchiki and Retsu Unohana bowed to the Head Captain. They turned to leave, but they paused as they noticed me. I bowed to them as they passed me. "Captain Kuchiki," I said, "Captain Unohana, please stay a while."

When they stopped, I approached the Head Captain. "Socrius-taichō," he said. "You've come a long way... since fifty years ago."

I showed him a shallow smile. "That isn't why I'm here." I beckoned Byakuya and Unohana to my side. "Do you remember the Fifth Division Captain from fifty years ago?"

Yamamoto looked up from his paperwork. "It wasn't Raynes Anson-taichō, wasn't it?" I nodded. "What about him? I haven't heard you utter that name since you ascended the position of the Captain of the Fifth Division."

I looked into the slits of his eyes. "This past operation in Rukongai Sixty-Three East... Anson has arrived."

Byakuya stepped forward. "Raynes, as in the Shinigami with the Zanpakutō to manipulate the timeline?"

Unohana only dipped her head. "How fortunate, given that we were the ones who witnessed his Captain Proficiency Test."

"Captain Soi Fon could have been here. She spent as much time with Captain Raynes as much as Byakuya." I noticed Byakuya's scrunched face.

Yamamoto interlocked his fingers. "What of him?"

"I want him, along with the girl I found alongside him, to immediately graduate Shino Academy." The statement caused Yamamoto to open his eyes at me. "I know it is a rash statement, but allow me to explain." I told him the scenario of the Adjuchas and the evolved Vasto Lorde. I told him how I was incapacitated and that Anson and Claire's Zanpakutō awakened in order for the two to kill the Hollow. "They have shown great control over their Zanpakutō. Anson was already handling his sealed Zanpakutō effectively prior to my arrival."

Yamamoto's eyes steeled. "I can take this proposition into consideration... for Raynes Anson. As for this Claire, I'm afraid just an explanation cannot convince me to streamline her graduation of Shino Academy. This is my decision." He then turned to his paperwork once again, his hand moving more vigorously than when I had confronted him.

I was about to protest when Byakuya laid a hand on my shoulder. "He is adamant in his decisions," he said. "Tell the two about his verdict." Feeling somewhat defeated, I left the room with the two Captains with great reluctance.

* * *

><p>And so I stayed at the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho with Anson and Claire. I gazed out of the window as I waited for the two to wake up. It had already been three hours that I informed Yamamoto of Anson's arrival. The sun was already setting.<p>

I heard a faint rustling behind me, and I turned to see that Anson had risen from the bed. He was hunched over, rubbing his eyes. I turned the swivel chair that I was sitting in toward this younger version of my teacher from a long time ago. I smiled as I finally spoke words directly to him.

"'I wish you the best of luck, Captain'," I said.

Anson stared at me in a weird way. "You're the... Shinigami from that Hollow attack," he said. He then abruptly turned around. "Where's... oh, there she is." His eyes rested to his left, away from me, where Claire's bed lay.

"I'm not just the Shinigami from the Hollow attack," I said. "Your Zanpakutō, or rather its Zettaikai state, knows who I truly am."

"Zettaikai...?" he asked. He had completely lost all of his memories from when he last came into the timeline. I felt as if I were talking with a complete stranger.

"Anson Raynes," I said, and he sat straight up. I paused, closing my eyes and threading my fingers together. "Fifty years ago, I met a Shinigami named Anson Raynes. He had a Zanpakutō that allowed him to control time... exactly the one Zanpakutō that manifested for you."

That sheathed Zanpakutō stood propped next to the table between Anson and I.

"'Once every timeline, I am borne to the partner of the one who commands creation'," I said, recalling from when Jikan no Uranaishi first released Shikai to aid Anson in battle. "This Zanpakutō is the Zanpakutō borne to the Anson of this timeline. The Anson I knew... came from a different timeline. Such as Claire here is different from the Claire I once knew; a different creation. And to think you two would be the Shinigami masters of the two most powerful Zanpakutō in the known history...

"Anyways, Anson... I spoke with the Head Captain about you. The Hollow you and Claire had slayed was of the highest class Hollows we have on classification. From the field data, you were the sole target of the group of Hollows, meaning that you had the sufficient Reiatsu to attract an almost-sated Adjuchas Hollow. Head Captain Yamamoto had agreed to immediately place you as a Shinigami, though it is up to you to get a seated position."

Anson looked at me, then the Zanpakutō, and then back at me. "What about Claire?"

"She will have to complete the Shino Academy before joining the Gotei Thirteen. I'm sorry, but I tried to get her streamlined as well."

Anson frowned. He looked back at Claire and then at the ceiling. "I'm staying with her. When she leaves Shino Academy, that's when I leave." He looked straight at me. "She doesn't handle other people quite as easily..."

"I understand that," I said merely. I smiled as I got up from the chair. "And I knew you would say that. In that case, you shall remain in the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho for tonight and tomorrow night, and then head to the Shino Academy for classes the day after tomorrow. There are dorms provided for students that have originated from Rukongai." I had reached the door. "Make new scores Anson. However, I only expect you to make new high scores in the performance tab..." I gave him a wry smile as I proceeded to leave.

"Wait!" I stopped short with my left foot still in the doorway. There was a brief pause. "Thanks... for saving me and Claire."

I huffed. "I'm only returning the favor... from fifty-years ago. When you've matured, you could possibly get your Zanpakutō to tell you all about it." I finally exited into the hall, and Shionari materialized, in her human form, beside me.

"Will things turn out for the better?" Shionari asked me. "About Anson, I mean."

"Explain."

"Well... he's obviously going to..."

"I can have Byakuya teach him," I said. "Only Byakuya knew his fighting style. I'm sure we can expose him to that old Star Wars series from the World of the Living. I recognized that most of his moves originated from that. However... in the end, it all comes down to him."

Shionari accompanied me until we returned to the Fifth Division Barracks. We entered the Captain's office, and I sat behind the desk. Shionari seated herself on the floor, with her back against the bed. "This makes today the fiftieth anniversary."

"You make the whole scenario, the one of me getting you back from that Quincy Medallion, seem like a marriage or something like that," I said, looking away and stroking my forehead. I sighed. "Fifty years... fifty years is one hell of a long time."

"Well," Shionari said smugly, "you've got a lot to talk to Brandon, Jorden and Rosche about. On top of that, I heard Brandon achieved Bankai. He's been pestering you for the past few days to show you, remember?"

"So much for me finally getting back to my room," I said. "It's evening already." I reluctantly rose from the chair and headed toward the door. I glanced at Shionari, who grinned at me before returning to the Zanpakutō with a swirl of light-blue Reikyū. Exiting the Fifth Division Barracks, I made my way to Sōkyoku Hill, walked up the winding stairway at the back of the cliff, and waited for our group of four to arrive at the garden at the top of the mesa.


End file.
